2023/12/01 by Malin Alsved, Kristina Nystrôm, Sara Thuresson +6 · 2 voices · 1 citation
Medicine · #Infection Control and Ventilation #SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research #SARS-CoV-2 detection and testing
paper · pdf · doi:10.1038/s41598-023-47829-8
openalex publication_date 2023/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30
Abstract Exhaled SARS-CoV-2-containing aerosols contributed significantly to the rapid and vast spread of covid-19. However, quantitative experimental data on the infectivity of such aerosols is missing. Here, we quantified emission rates of infectious viruses in exhaled aerosol from individuals within their first days after symptom onset from covid-19. Six aerosol samples from three individuals were culturable, of which five were successfully quantified using TCID 50 . The source strength of the three individuals was highest during singing, when they exhaled 4, 36, or 127 TCID 50 /s, respectively. Calculations with an indoor air transmission model showed that if an infected individual with this emission rate entered a room, a susceptible person would inhale an infectious dose within 6 to 37 min in a room with normal ventilation. Thus, our data show that exhaled aerosols from a single person can transmit covid-19 to others within minutes at normal indoor conditions.