Two D-BAUG professors work on the role of aerosols and the implications for transmission of SARS-CoV-2
Professor Roman Stocker and Professor Jing Wang, from the Institute of Environmental Engineering, are contributing to efforts to understand and control the spread of SARS-CoV-2.
Professor Roman Stocker, who leads one of the expert groups in the external page Swiss National COVID-19 Science Task Force, was the lead author on a external page policy brief summarising the scientific evidence for the role of aerosols in SARS-CoV-2 transmission. In an appearance on “external page 10vor10” (from 06:10 in the video) , he explained the importance of minimising time spent in poorly ventilated indoor environments, particularly when high-emission activities such as singing or shouting occur.
Meanwhile, Professor Jing Wang, Chair of Air Quality and Particle Technology, has developed a external page simple framework to estimate the SARS-CoV-2 infection risk. It suggests that the median infection risk via airborne respiratory droplet nuclei transmission (10-6 to 10-4) from one-hour exposure in a room of area 10–400 m2 with one infected individual and with typical ventilation rate is significantly lower than the risk caused by close contact (10-1).It is still necessary to be cautious about the potential transmission risk in small rooms with prolonged exposure. Professor Wang and his colleagues are also working on external page sensors for the rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2 in the air, and on the external page evaluation of the efficiency of masks.
See also our previous news article The role of Aerosols in SARS-CoV-2 Transmission.
The Expert Groups of the Swiss National COVID-19 Science Task Force address urgent issues regarding the COVID-19 crisis in Policy Briefs. You can access all of these interesting documents on the external page website of the COVID-19 task force.