Technical note: impact of face covering on aerosol transport patterns during coughing and sneezing.

Details

• Personal Author:
  Grinshpun SA ; Yermakov M
• Description:
  COVID-19 is spread via different routes, including virus-laden airborne particles generated by human respiratory activities. In addition to large droplets, coughing and sneezing produce a lot of small aerosol particles. While face coverings are believed to reduce the aerosol transmission, information about their outward effectiveness is limited. Here, we determined the aerosol concentration patterns around a coughing and sneezing manikin and established spatial zones representing specific elevations of the aerosol concentration relative to the background. Real-time measurements of sub-micrometer aerosol particles were performed in the vicinity of the manikin. The tests were carried out without any face covering and with three different types of face covers: a safety faceshield, low-efficiency facemask and high-efficiency surgical mask. With no face covering, the simulated coughing and sneezing created a powerful forward-propagating fine aerosol flow. At 6 ft forward from the manikin head, the aerosol concentration was still 20-fold above the background. Adding a face covering reconfigured the forward-directed aerosol transmission pattern. The tested face coverings were found capable of mitigating the risk of coronavirus transmission; their effectiveness is dependent on the protective device. The outward leakage associated with a specific face covering was shown to be a major determinant of the exposure level for a person standing or seating next to or behind the coughing or sneezing "spreader" in a bus/train/aircraft/auditorium setting. Along with reports recently published in the literature, the study findings help assess the infectious dose and ultimately health risk for persons located within a 6-ft radius around the "spreader." [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aerosols Communicable Diseases Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Respiratory Protective Devices Safety Viral Diseases
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: COVID-19; Aerosol Transmission; Coughing; Sneezing; Facemask Coronavirus; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; Viral Diseases; Aerosols; Aerosol Particles; Face Masks; Face Shields; Surgical Masks; Disease Transmission;
• ISSN:
  0021-8502
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  158
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20064883
• Citation:
  J Aerosol Sci 2021 Nov; 158:105847
• Contact Point Address:
  Sergey A. Grinshpun, Center for Health-Related Aerosol Studies, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, 160 Panzeca Way, POB 670056, 45267-0056, Cincinnati, OH, USA
• Email:
  sergey.grinshpun@uc.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2022
• Performing Organization:
  University of Cincinnati
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Aerosol Science
• End Date:
  20260630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:22682a46900df83e7e0b416ec1c8761133f3addc2ca6e14b05c77203160f3d9406bf6fe32640725bc89dad55f71ba4eeb253337213a7b893a9a319d9c25fe314
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/249263/cdc_249263_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.85 MB ]