The main transmission routes are becoming increasingly clear.

When the corona pandemic broke out two years ago, many pressing questions arose about how the coronavirus spread. It was initially thought that the coronavirus mainly spreads through large droplets exhaled by a contagious person coughing or sneezing, or by touching contaminated surfaces. In the meantime, however, it is becoming increasingly clear that the chance is many times greater that you contract the corona virus through the air. Something that too a new study now unequivocally confirmed.

Study

In the study, scientists collected 256 air and 517 surface samples in public areas — including classrooms, exercise rooms, cafeterias, buses, gyms — at a US university. The positivity rates of these air and surface samples were found to be 1.6 percent and 1.4 percent, respectively. They then calculated the probability that a person contracted the coronavirus through the air or through an object. It leads to an interesting conclusion. “The risk of contracting the coronavirus through an object is 1000 times smaller than through the air,” concludes researcher Chuanwu Xi.

Shopping cart

In other words, the chance that you will contract COVID-19 via, for example, a shopping cart is very small. The virus simply doesn’t stick to surfaces as easily, while it easily makes its way through the air. The chance that you will be infected with the coronavirus through inhaled aerosols is 1 in 100 exposures, the researchers calculated. The chance that you will be infected through an object is 1 in 100,000 exposures.

Sky

The study shows that we should not underestimate the transmission of respiratory pathogens through the air. It confirms that the coronavirus mainly spreads through the air and not through surface contact. SARS-CoV-2 spreads through tiny, virus-laden aerosols, which can remain suspended in the air for a long time. The small droplets can accumulate especially indoors and linger for hours without proper ventilation. That way, the shared air is inhaled by everyone who is in the same room.

Transmission route

Thanks to the study, the main transmission routes of the coronavirus are becoming increasingly clear. And that’s very important if we want to nip the spread of this or similar viruses in the bud in the future. “Our results are a valuable addition to our understanding of infectious diseases,” said researcher Rick Neitzel. “In addition, it may help us better prepare for future outbreaks of pathogens with the same transmission routes.”

According to the researchers, the findings could come in handy in the future. “They provide another layer of refinement to evaluate key transmission routes and identify physical spaces where the risks are greater,” Neitzel said. “Appropriate measures in such spaces will be essential and effective in limiting the spread of the coronavirus.”