How do wind instruments spread aerosols?

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, spreads primarily via respiratory particles called aerosols , and it’s becoming clear that singing increases transmission . Now, a multi-institution team headed by air quality expert Shelly L. Miller at the University of Colorado Boulder has investigated risks to singers and wind instrument players. The team’s new study shows that clarinets generate aerosol plumes comparable to those from singing; these plumes can be reduced by placing a mask over the base of the instrument ( ACS Environ. Au 2021, DOI: 10.1021/acsenvironau.1c00007 ). The researchers used imaging techniques to track the flow of aerosols emanating from musicians’ mouths and instruments and measured the velocities, lengths, and widths of those plumes. The researchers also measured CO 2 concentration to provide additional information about how the plumes spread with distance. The concentration of airborne particles at the base of a clarinet was similar to that measured in