Environment International (Sep 2020)
How can airborne transmission of COVID-19 indoors be minimised?
- Lidia Morawska,
- Julian W. Tang,
- William Bahnfleth,
- Philomena M. Bluyssen,
- Atze Boerstra,
- Giorgio Buonanno,
- Junji Cao,
- Stephanie Dancer,
- Andres Floto,
- Francesco Franchimon,
- Charles Haworth,
- Jaap Hogeling,
- Christina Isaxon,
- Jose L. Jimenez,
- Jarek Kurnitski,
- Yuguo Li,
- Marcel Loomans,
- Guy Marks,
- Linsey C. Marr,
- Livio Mazzarella,
- Arsen Krikor Melikov,
- Shelly Miller,
- Donald K. Milton,
- William Nazaroff,
- Peter V. Nielsen,
- Catherine Noakes,
- Jordan Peccia,
- Xavier Querol,
- Chandra Sekhar,
- Olli Seppänen,
- Shin-ichi Tanabe,
- Raymond Tellier,
- Kwok Wai Tham,
- Pawel Wargocki,
- Aneta Wierzbicka,
- Maosheng Yao
Affiliations
- Lidia Morawska
- International Laboratory for Air Quality and Heath (ILAQH), WHO Collaborating Centre for Air Quality and Health, School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Corresponding author at: International Laboratory for Air Quality and Heath (ILAQH), WHO Collaborating Centre for Air Quality and Health, School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
- Julian W. Tang
- Respiratory Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
- William Bahnfleth
- Department of Architectural Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, USA
- Philomena M. Bluyssen
- Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands
- Atze Boerstra
- REHVA (Federation of European Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Associations), BBA Binnenmilieu, the Netherlands
- Giorgio Buonanno
- Department if Civil and Mechanical Engineering, University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, Cassino, Italy
- Junji Cao
- Key Lab of Aerosol Chemistry and Physics Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an, Beijing, China
- Stephanie Dancer
- Edinburgh Napier University and NHS Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom
- Andres Floto
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Francesco Franchimon
- Franchimon ICM, the Netherlands
- Charles Haworth
- Cambridge Centre for Lung Infection, Royal Papworth Hospital and Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Jaap Hogeling
- International Standards at ISSO, ISSO International Project, the Netherlands
- Christina Isaxon
- Ergonomics and Aerosol Technology Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Jose L. Jimenez
- Department of Chemistry, and Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) University of Colorado, Boulder, USA
- Jarek Kurnitski
- REHVA Technology and Research Committee, Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia
- Yuguo Li
- Department of Mechancal Engineering, Hong Kong University, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
- Marcel Loomans
- Department of the Built Environment, Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), the Netherlands
- Guy Marks
- Centre for Air quality Research and evaluation (CAR), University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Linsey C. Marr
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, VA Tech, USA
- Livio Mazzarella
- AiCARR, Politecnico di Milano, Italy
- Arsen Krikor Melikov
- International Centre for Indoor Environment and Energy, Department of Civil Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark
- Shelly Miller
- Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, USA
- Donald K. Milton
- Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, USA
- William Nazaroff
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Peter V. Nielsen
- Faculty of Engineering and Science, Department of Civil Engineering, Aalborg University, Denmark
- Catherine Noakes
- School of Civil Engineering, University of Leeds, United Kingdom
- Jordan Peccia
- Environmental Engineering, Yale University, USA
- Xavier Querol
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, Department of Geosciences, Spanish National Research Council, Barcelona, Spain
- Chandra Sekhar
- Department of Building, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Olli Seppänen
- Aalto University, Finland
- Shin-ichi Tanabe
- Architectural Institute of Japan, Japan
- Raymond Tellier
- McGill University, Canada
- Kwok Wai Tham
- Department of Building, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Pawel Wargocki
- International Centre for Indoor Environment and Energy, Department of Civil Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark
- Aneta Wierzbicka
- Ergonomics and Aerosol Technology, Lund University, Sweden
- Maosheng Yao
- College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Journal volume & issue
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Vol. 142
p. 105832
Abstract
During the rapid rise in COVID-19 illnesses and deaths globally, and notwithstanding recommended precautions, questions are voiced about routes of transmission for this pandemic disease. Inhaling small airborne droplets is probable as a third route of infection, in addition to more widely recognized transmission via larger respiratory droplets and direct contact with infected people or contaminated surfaces. While uncertainties remain regarding the relative contributions of the different transmission pathways, we argue that existing evidence is sufficiently strong to warrant engineering controls targeting airborne transmission as part of an overall strategy to limit infection risk indoors. Appropriate building engineering controls include sufficient and effective ventilation, possibly enhanced by particle filtration and air disinfection, avoiding air recirculation and avoiding overcrowding. Often, such measures can be easily implemented and without much cost, but if only they are recognised as significant in contributing to infection control goals. We believe that the use of engineering controls in public buildings, including hospitals, shops, offices, schools, kindergartens, libraries, restaurants, cruise ships, elevators, conference rooms or public transport, in parallel with effective application of other controls (including isolation and quarantine, social distancing and hand hygiene), would be an additional important measure globally to reduce the likelihood of transmission and thereby protect healthcare workers, patients and the general public.
