Abstract
Our understanding of the mechanisms of airborne transmission of viruses is incomplete. This paper employs computational multiphase fluid dynamics and heat transfer to investigate transport, dispersion, and evaporation of saliva particles arising from a human cough. An ejection process of saliva droplets in air was applied to mimic the real event of a human cough. We employ an advanced three-dimensional model based on fully coupled Eulerian–Lagrangian techniques that take into account the relative humidity, turbulent dispersion forces, droplet phase-change, evaporation, and breakup in addition to the droplet–droplet and droplet–air interactions. We computationally investigate the effect of wind speed on social distancing. For a mild human cough in air at 20 °C and 50% relative humidity, we found that human saliva-disease-carrier droplets may travel up to unexpected considerable distances depending on the wind speed. When the wind speed was approximately zero, the saliva droplets did not travel 2 m, which is within the social distancing recommendations. However, at wind speeds varying from 4 km/h to 15 km/h, we found that the saliva droplets can travel up to 6 m with a decrease in the concentration and liquid droplet size in the wind direction. Our findings imply that considering the environmental conditions, the 2 m social distance may not be sufficient. Further research is required to quantify the influence of parameters such as the environment’s relative humidity and temperature among others.
Highlights
We computationally investigate the effect of wind speed on social distancing
The recent COVID-19 pandemic prompted the need for deeper understanding of the transport of fluids and particles emanating from our respiratory tracts when we cough, sneeze, speak, or breathe
Larger droplets are formed by saliva and smaller droplets by the mucous coating of the lungs and vocal cords
Summary
The recent COVID-19 pandemic prompted the need for deeper understanding of the transport of fluids and particles emanating from our respiratory tracts when we cough, sneeze, speak, or breathe. Researchers have shown that even breathing could release potentially infectious aerosols.. Researchers have shown that even breathing could release potentially infectious aerosols.3 They have captured the large droplets produced when sneezing and coughing as well as the aerosol droplets produced when sneezing, coughing, breathing, and talking on different surfaces. Infectious Diseases and 21st Century Health Threats has considered whether the SARS-CoV-2 virus could be spread through conversation, in addition to the transmission due to sneeze/cough droplets.. As Beans reported, the team determined that the current evidence supports the possibility that SARS-CoV-2 could spread through aerosolized droplets released via patients’ exhalations.. We aim at advancing the understanding of the transfer of airborne particle carriers to humans through flow modeling and simulation
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