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RIKEN “Tomitake” supercomputer developed by Fujitsu
The Institute for Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN) announced new results from a new simulation of coronavirus droplet infection using the “Tomitake” supercomputer.
According to the results of this research, it was found that there is a risk of contagion if they meet even in the open air, and even if a breeze blows, it does not reduce the risk, as well as the risk of contagion in karaoke booths, taxis, commuter trains. He also announced the risk of infection in public transport, such as airplanes.
Makoto Tsubokura, Team Leader, Unified Solutions Research Team for Complex Phenomena, Computational Science Research Center, Institute for Physical and Chemical Research
In collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, RIKEN is providing some computational resources for “Tomitake”, which is currently under development, for research and development to contribute to countermeasures against the new corona virus. This announcement explains the progress of one of the efforts, “Indoor Virus Droplet Infection Prediction and Countermeasures”, and part of the research is the “Supercomputer” supercomputer provided by the University of Tokyo. It has the computing resources of “Oakbridge-CX”.
Professor Makoto Tsubokura from Kobe University Graduate School of Systems and Informatics, who is the team leader of the Complicated Phenomena Unified Solutions Research Team at the Institute for Physical and Chemical Research, Computational Science Research Center said: It is caused by the invisible virus. By using Tomitake’s ability to visualize invisible drops and spread them to society, the correct understanding of drops and illustration of infection prevention The purpose is to do. ”
Performance differences depending on the mask material The harder it is to breathe, the higher the performance.
As announced this time in one of the new research results, we clarified the difference based on the material of the mask.
According to this, “fabric masks have poor breathability when trying to improve collection performance. Nonwovens have poor breathability but high collection performance. However, nonwovens have a performance range and are inferior to cloth masks Sukasuka are also commercially available.
Urethane masks, which are very fashionable, have a lower collection performance than non-woven fabrics. However, the fabric and urethane can be reused and the non-woven fabrics become disposable. Those that are difficult to breathe perform well. The N95 medical mask is painful but blocks 100% of the droplets.
It is important to be aware of this trend, and considering breathability, collection performance and cost, consider the physical condition of the day and the risk that you are likely to go into a dense environment and wear the mask material. You just have to choose. ”
Aerosol infection in karaoke boxes and countermeasures
Tomitake’s simulations so far have also clarified how to speak, sing, and how droplets fly when coughing, but according to this, “one, two, three, ……, ten” in English can be done in 5.5 seconds. When you talk and repeat it, in a minute about 9,000 drops and aerosols fly.
On the other hand, it is known that when “one, two, three, ……, ten” is repeated aloud assuming the song, about 25,000 drops and aerosols fly in one minute. Also, if you cough twice forcefully, about 30,000 drops and sprays will be generated.
“Even in normal conversation, if you continue talking for about 3 minutes, it will generate the same number of drops and sprays as a cough. Also, when singing, the number of drops is several compared to normal conversation. It doubles and flies further away “.
Based on this result, this time we announce the risks in the karaoke box.
Airflow status in the karaoke box
As with a general karaoke box, one person is supposed to sing in a dense state with nine people entering a small room of about 21 cubic meters equipped with a ventilation and air conditioning function. After imagining how the room was virtually filled with polluted air and replaced with fresh air for ventilation, it was said that when the air conditioning was activated, the ventilation volume was more than double that when it was off.
“In a general karaoke box, the ventilation volume per person is about twice that of a normal office, which is a sufficient amount. Also, to promote room ventilation, it is okay to blow air, so turn on the air conditioning. And it’s better to shake the air. ”
When the air conditioning is off in the karaoke box
When the air conditioner is on in the karaoke box
Also, “in a small room, about 30 seconds after you start singing a song, the spray spreads throughout the room, and no matter where you sit, the high-concentration spray fills up and is affected.
If you stand under the exhaust port and sing, you may have some resistance, but by wearing a mouth guard or a mask, you can reduce the spray to about a third, and it effectively discharges from the exhaust port to the outside. , It is quite effective in reducing the risk of infection. After singing a song, it may be necessary to wait a while and sing after airing the spray.
Not installed
With mouse protector
Using a mask
Also, when wearing a mask under the exhaust port and the partition is arranged from ceiling to face height, it is possible to prevent the spray from spreading throughout the room, which is effective. However, it does not require such measures. ”
Tomitake power is necessary for human gene analysis leading to aggravation.
Meanwhile, Satoshi Matsuoka, director of the Computational Science Research Center of the Institute for Physical and Chemical Research, explained new research and development of new countermeasures for the coronavirus using Tomitake.
Director Matsuoka said: “RIKEN is working on five topics such as research and development that contribute to countermeasures against the novel coronavirus in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The sixth topic is” Severe novel coronavirus infection . It was decided to work on “Analysis of human genes in chemistry”, an investigation that unites the molecular analysis of viruses and epidemiology.
Attention is being paid to what kinds of people can get seriously ill and whether there are differences in age, race, lifestyle, etc. Furthermore, there is a hypothesis that genes possessed by the Japanese are less likely to cause aggravation than white genes.
Using a large number of gene samples and performing a detailed analysis in Tomitake, it will be possible to find out if the aggravating factor is genetic. If the aggravating factor can be identified, the risk of aggravation can be determined by prior genetic testing, and appropriate treatment and measures can contribute to medical policy decision and prevent medical collapse.
The analysis used for this entire genome sequence cannot be done without the power of Tomitake. If we can identify genetic mutations related to the risk of aggravation, we hope it will be an important countermeasure. ”In the future, he plans to hold a briefing on the research.
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