Abstract
Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) in spring/summer air and water reach germicidal levels. It is proposed that variations in naturally occurring ROS are the primary cause of influenza seasonality. Recent NIH and DHS COVID-19 aerosol and droplet log kill measurements do not account for this natural germicidal effect leading to over estimations of half-life for the virus in real world conditions. A new formulation of the Wells Riley equation is proposed that includes ROS and viral load factors.
Highlights
In nature, infectious disease transmission occurs in a highly suppressive environment containing germicidal levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as hydrogen peroxide, ozone, hydroxide ions, etc
It is proposed that minimum Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) levels in the air we breathe, water we drink, and from sunlight our body absorbs need to be provided in our homes, offices, schools, and hospitals especially during fall and winter months to reduce the probability of transmission
This germicidal effect is not included in existing experiments, models, and governing equations leading to fundamental misconceptions regarding how infectious diseases spread
Summary
Infectious disease transmission occurs in a highly suppressive environment containing germicidal levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as hydrogen peroxide, ozone, hydroxide ions, etc. At the microns scale of a cough droplet containing thousands of viral particles, the virus particles must pass through a gauntlet of germicidal molecules to infect the host. This germicidal effect is not included in existing experiments, models, and governing equations leading to fundamental misconceptions regarding how infectious diseases spread. For a typical cough or sneeze droplet this leads to halflives for the virus particles in the droplet of less than 1 second in real air. Droplets on surfaces have longer half-lives because the surrounding ROS molecules are consumed and replaced at a much slower rate in stagnant air
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