The effects of desk-partition layout on cough droplet dynamics relating to seasonal influenza

Abstract

The use of physical dividers as control measures for short-range viral transmission in indoor settings has gained increasing attention. However, the understanding regarding their correct usage under different seating arrangements is incomplete. In this study, we focused on assessing the effectiveness of physical dividers in impeding the transient transmission of cough droplets in three representative layouts using the large-eddy simulation technique with the Eulerian–Lagrangian model. We computationally also investigated the effects of ventilation on viral droplet transmission under three representative desk-divider layouts. The ventilation approach was tested using two different ventilation rates (1.0 and 1.8 m/s). A comparative analysis of the ventilation flow fields, topologies, and particle directions has been studied. The findings indicate that the sitting arrangements, ventilation rates, and partition layouts play a significant role in designing effective control measures for indoor infection under the office setup considered. The protected occupied zone ventilation (POV) worked best in situations of low ventilation (1.0 m/s) for cross-partition in protecting the three healthy persons. In addition, the POV performed well for low (1.0 m/s) and high (1.8 m/s) ventilation rates for face-to-face layout. The side-by-side configuration performed poorly for the POV considered in protecting the healthy person seated directly opposite the infected person. The numerical predictions may be used to validate other experimental studies and educate office workers and engineers on indoor airborne infection control.