A new survey has found more evidence suggesting that people can become infected with COVID-19 through aerosol transmission, which could be avoided with a mask.
Conducted by data scientists in the United Kingdom, Norway, and the United States, the study is one of the first to investigate what personal and work factors can lead to COVID-19 transmission.
After surveying 2,000 people in the UK and the US, the researchers found that data from both countries suggest that transmission of the virus by aerosol, through microdroplets that are so small that they remain airborne for several hours, it is very likely.
Also, they say that taller people seem to be at higher risk. People over 6 feet tall appear to be more than twice as likely to have a COVID-19 medical diagnosis or a positive result. The researchers said this suggests that the transmission of aerosols is highly likely, since if the transmission of COVID-19 were due to droplets only, they are larger than aerosols and are believed to travel relatively short distances and fall rapidly from the air, taller people would not be at greater risk. In contrast, aerosols can accumulate in poorly ventilated spaces and are carried by air currents.
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The findings were published on the preprint website medrxiv.org, and have not yet been peer-reviewed, meaning they have not been verified by experts. However, with the recent debate over whether aerosol transmission is possible, the researchers said they wanted their results to be available now.
Another study finding is that the use of a shared kitchen or accommodation, which may be related to lower social status, is an important factor in transmission; In the United States, people using these shared spaces had a 3.5 times higher risk of becoming infected, and in the United Kingdom the risk was 1.7 times higher.
Professor Evan Kontopantelis from the University of Manchester commented: “The results of this survey in terms of associations between height and diagnosis suggest that downward droplet transmission is not the only transmission mechanism and aerosol transmission is possible.” .
“This has been suggested by other studies, but our confirmation method is novel. Although social distancing is still important because droplet transmission is likely to occur, it suggests that the use of masks may be just as or more effective in prevention. But also, air purification in interior spaces needs to be further explored. “
