Drier environments more dangerous for spread of airborne viruses: study – CTV
March 1, 2023
A new study measuring how long airborne coronavirus particles can remain infectious at different humidities has found that drier environments may be more dangerous for viral spread.
By filling a specially sealed chamber up to the size of a bathroom with viral particles, researchers were able to measure that at low humidities, airborne particles remained infectious for twice as long as at recommended relative humidities of 40 to 60 per cent.
The study, published in December in the peer-reviewed journal PNAS-Nexus, adds further credence to what scientists have been saying since the start of the pandemic: that ventilation and filtration is key to mitigating transmission.
Researchers also found that saliva’s protective powers play a huge role in keeping infectious particles alive for so long.
