Infection Spread and High-Resolution Detection of Close Contact Behaviors.

Nan Zhang,Boni Su,Pak-To Chan,Yuguo Li,Te Miao,Peihua Wang

doi:10.3390/ijerph17041445

Nan Zhang, Boni Su + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17041445

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Abstract

Knowledge of human behaviors is important for improving indoor-environment design, building-energy efficiency, and productivity, and for studies of infection spread. However, such data are lacking. In this study, we designed a device for detecting and recording, second by second, the 3D indoor positioning and head and body motions of each graduate student in an office. From more than 400 person hours of data. Students spent 92.2%, 4.1%, 2.9%, and 0.8% of their time in their own office cubicles, other office cubicles, aisles, and areas near public facilities, respectively. They spent 9.7% of time in close contact, and each student averagely had 4.0 close contacts/h. Students spent long time on close contact in the office which may lead to high infection risk. The average interpersonal distance during close contact was 0.81 m. When sitting, students preferred small relative face orientation angle. Pairs of standing students preferred a face-to-face orientation during close contact which means this pattern had a lower infection risk via close contact. Probability of close contact decreased exponentially with the increasing distance between two students’ cubicles. Data on human behaviour during close contact is helpful for infection risk analysis and infection control and prevention.

Highlights

Indoor human behaviors directly impact on indoor thermal comfort [1], energy efficiency [2], office design [3], and exposure to pollutants [4]
Close contacts are believed to facilitate the spread of many viral respiratory diseases such as influenza [6], SARS [7], MERS [8], and even Ebola [9]
Infection risk via close contact is influenced by interpersonal distance, respiratory activities, and movement of body parts

Summary

Introduction

Indoor human behaviors directly impact on indoor thermal comfort [1], energy efficiency [2], office design [3], and exposure to pollutants (e.g., infectious microbes) [4]. Indoor human behaviors in and between different environments directly impact on the infection risk [5]. Close contacts are believed to facilitate the spread of many viral respiratory diseases such as influenza [6], SARS [7], MERS [8], and even Ebola [9]. Infection risk via close contact is influenced by interpersonal distance, respiratory activities, and movement of body parts. Interpersonal distance directly affects the risk of virus exposure due to inhalation and deposition, the so-called short-range airborne and large droplet routes, respectively [10]. A threshold distance of close contact less than 1.5 m to 2 m is generally accepted as risky [11,12,13]

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