Abstract
A thorough understanding of the inhalation dynamics of infectious aerosols indoors and infection dynamics within the host by inhaled viruses such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) plays an important role in the assessment and control of infection risks indoors. Here, by combining computational fluid–particle dynamics (CFPD) and host–cell dynamics (HCD), SARS-CoV-2 infection dynamics in the mucus layer of the human upper airway were studied. To reproduce the diffusive and convective transport of the virus in the nasal cavity–nasopharynx by mucociliary motion, a three-dimensional (3D)-shell model with a mucus layer was developed. The initial virus concentrations for HCD calculation were estimated based on the deposition distribution of droplets with representative sizes analyzed by CFPD. To develop a new HCD model, the target-cell-limited model was integrated with the convection–diffusion equation. Additionally, the sensitivity of the infection rate β to the infection dynamics was systematically investigated. The results showed that the time series of SARS-CoV-2 concentration in the mucus layer strongly depended on diffusion, convection, and β. Although the SARS-CoV-2 dynamics obtained here have not been verified by corresponding clinical data, they can preliminarily reveal its transmission mode in the upper airway, which will contribute to the prevention and treatment of coronavirus disease 2019.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.