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Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 spreads more indoors at low humidity :
An Indo-German research team is now pointing out another aspect that has received little attention so far and could become particularly important in the next flu season: Indoor humidity. Physicists at the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS) in Leipzig and the CSIR National Physical Laboratory in New Delhi have been studying the physical properties of aerosol particles for years in order to better estimate their effects on air quality or cloud formation.
[...] Result: Air humidity influences the spread of corona viruses indoors in three different ways: (a) the behaviour of microorganisms within the virus droplets, (b) the survival or inactivation of the virus on the surfaces, and (c) the role of dry indoor air in the airborne transmission of viruses. Although, low humidity causes the droplets containing viruses to dry out more quickly, the survivability of the viruses still seems to remain high. The team concludes that other processes are more important for infection: "If the relative humidity of indoor air is below 40 percent, the particles emitted by infected people absorb less water, remain lighter, fly further through the room and are more likely to be inhaled by healthy people. In addition, dry air also makes the mucous membranes in our noses dry and more permeable to viruses," summarizes Dr. Ajit Ahlawat.
[...] At a higher humidity, the droplets grow faster, fall to the ground earlier and can be inhaled less by healthy people. "A humidity level of at least 40 percent in public buildings and local transport would therefore not only reduce the effects of COVID-19, but also of other viral diseases such as seasonal flu. Authorities should include the humidity factor in future indoor guidelines," demands Dr. Sumit Kumar Mishra of CSIR - National Physical Laboratory in New Delhi.
Journal Reference:
Ahlawat, A., Wiedensohler, A. and Mishra, S.K., An Overview on the Role of Relative Humidity in Airborne Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in Indoor Environments [open], Aerosol and Air Quality Research (DOI: 10.4209/aaqr.2020.06.0302)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 25 2020, @11:55AM (12 children)
Humidifiers can promote growth of molds and other undesirable organisms, depending on the technology. I have no idea of the tradeoffs, but in small rooms at home the boiling type have problems of mineral buildup (from local tap water) and the cool type (fan + fuzzy material) have some other problem. Maybe atomizers (with higher pressure behind them) are the way to go??
(Score: 3, Interesting) by c0lo on Tuesday August 25 2020, @12:37PM (2 children)
See also electrostatic precipitators [wikipedia.org], aka electric fly traps with a ventilator in front.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by captain normal on Tuesday August 25 2020, @09:02PM (1 child)
"electric fly traps with a ventilator in front"
Is that some "Out Back Engineering"? :-))
When life isn't going right, go left.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Tuesday August 25 2020, @10:49PM
From the vein of Henry Hoke [wikipedia.org], yes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 25 2020, @01:36PM (2 children)
This goes back to the measles debates of the 1920s-1940s. Way back then it was argued schools should have UV lights in the air vents, etc but it never took off because doctors said it sounded too much like the miasma theory of disease. Maybe now the pendulum has swung back enough?
Also, it is relative humidity that counts, not absolute humidity. This article is misleading.
(Score: 2) by RS3 on Tuesday August 25 2020, @03:38PM
When I was a kid we had a fairly old refrigerator, probably from the 1950s, that had a UV germ-killing light that would turn on when the door closed. Not sure how effective they were. YMMV.
(Score: 2) by RS3 on Tuesday August 25 2020, @03:40PM
Oh, and I have some floor-standing electrostatic air filters (possibly "Sharper Image" or one of those catalog names), and some HEPA ones that have a UV light that can be turned on.
(Score: 2) by Immerman on Tuesday August 25 2020, @02:02PM (5 children)
Mineral deposits can usually be easily removed with an occasional soak in vinegar, which also does a decent job killing most molds, etc. A dish-tray and funnel make it easy to reclaim the vinegar for repeated use, no sense throwing it away when you've only slightly neuralized it. Don't know that I'd want to soak the sponge/paper wick material - I suspect it might retain the smell for a long time, assuming it didn't dissolve.
(Score: 2) by RS3 on Tuesday August 25 2020, @03:46PM (4 children)
Vinegar (acetic acid) does a great job of cleaning lots of things. For some reason, to my nose, it leaves a horribly rancid smell, even long (weeks) after it's rinsed away. It's used to clean k-cup coffee machines, for example. Pee-u.
I knew a lady who was an RN, additionally very into health foods, etc., who recently passed away at 101 and was quite strong, feisty, sharp, until the end. She particularly liked "apple cider vinegar" used medicinally. The smell prevents me from trying it. I figure my nose knows what's good for me and what's poison. I know I'm wrong on that, but I'd need some kind of definitive medical test to prove I need the stuff.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 25 2020, @04:27PM (2 children)
This man is 109 years old and said his secret is chain smoking cigars, drinking 4 cups of coffee and whisky every morning, and being married to Mrs. Love: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXyfCGDnuWs [youtube.com]
(Score: 2) by RS3 on Tuesday August 25 2020, @05:48PM
Need a mod for "super-cool". Thanks!
(Score: 2) by RS3 on Tuesday August 25 2020, @05:53PM
BTW, I've seen that before. Not sure if you or someone linked it here, or just stumbled onto it. He still drives!
My 101-year old friend was in a skilled nursing facility for a short rehab after an overnight hospital visit, and living there (like many older people) was a 109-year old woman. She was basically stone deaf, but walked on her own (_carrying_ a walker from which dangled a bag of "stuff"), sat and ate 100% by herself, was quite aware of everyone and everything around her. She asked me to let her out of the building- that the nurses wouldn't let her out but her family was outside waiting for her. I wanted to take her out for a walk around but they wouldn't let me- I wasn't family.
(Score: 3, Informative) by HiThere on Tuesday August 25 2020, @05:54PM
Different vinegars smell different. Try rice wine vinegar. Or even white distilled vinegar. You could even get some glacial acetic acid and dilute it. (Make sure it's USP acetic acid though, not chemically pure. They measure different kinds of purity. This used to be cheaper than vinegar, but not very appealing because it was ONLY acetic acid, and the flavors of vinegar come from the wine that it's made from.)
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