Hypothesis: All respiratory viruses (including SARS-CoV-2) are aerosol-transmitted

Julian W Tang; Raymond Tellier; Yuguo Li

doi:10.1111/ina.12937

Hypothesis: All respiratory viruses (including SARS-CoV-2) are aerosol-transmitted

Indoor Air. 2022 Jan;32(1):e12937. doi: 10.1111/ina.12937.

Authors

Julian W Tang^{1

2}, Raymond Tellier³, Yuguo Li⁴

Affiliations

¹ Clinical Microbiology, Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, UK.
² Respiratory Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.
³ Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
⁴ Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China.

PMID: 35104003
DOI: 10.1111/ina.12937

Abstract

The potential role of aerosol transmission for seasonal respiratory viruses has been dramatically highlighted during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. It is now evident that short-range (conversational) and long-range aerosol transmission plays at least some part in how all these respiratory viruses are transmitted between people. This article highlights and discusses various studies that form the basis for this hypothesis.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; aerosol; influenza; respiratory viruses; transmission.

Publication types

Editorial

MeSH terms

Aerosols*
Air Microbiology*
Air Pollution, Indoor*
COVID-19* / transmission
Humans
Pandemics
SARS-CoV-2
Viruses*

Substances

Aerosols