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Dismantling myths on the airborne transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2)
Open accessAbstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused untold disruption throughout the world. Understanding the mechanisms for transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is key to preventing further spread, but there is confusion over the meaning of 'airborne' whenever transmission is discussed. Scientific ambivalence originates from evidence published many years ago which has generated mythological beliefs that obscure current thinking. This article collates and explores some of the most commonly held dogmas on airborne transmission in order to stimulate revision of the science in the light of current evidence. Six 'myths' are presented, explained and ultimately refuted on the basis of recently published papers and expert opinion from previous work related to similar viruses. There is little doubt that SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted via a range of airborne particle sizes subject to all the usual ventilation parameters and human behaviour. Experts from specialties encompassing aerosol studies, ventilation, engineering, physics, virology and clinical medicine have joined together to produce this review to consolidate the evidence for airborne transmission mechanisms, and offer justification for modern strategies for prevention and control of COVID-19 in health care and the community.
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“There is little direct evidence for the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 by any specific route [35].”
From The protective performance of reusable cloth face masks, disposable procedure masks, KN95 masks and N95 respirators: Filtration and total inward leakage (2021) · cites this paper as [35]
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Metadata
- Authors
- Tang, J. W., Bahnfleth, W. P., Bluyssen, P. M., Buonanno, G., Jimenez, J. L., Kurnitski, J., Li, Y., Miller, S., Sekhar, C., Morawska, L., Marr, L. C., Melikov, A. K., Nazaroff, W. W., Nielsen, P. V., Tellier, R., Wargocki, P., & Dancer, S. J.
- Affiliations
- University of Leicester (GB)
- Pennsylvania State University (US)
- Delft University of Technology (NL)
- Università degli studi di Cassino e del Lazio Meridionale (IT)
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (US)
- Tallinn University of Technology (EE)
- University of Hong Kong (HK)
- University of Colorado Boulder (US)
- National University of Singapore (SG)
- Queensland University of Technology (AU)
- Virginia Tech (US)
- Technical University of Denmark (DK)
- University of California, Berkeley (US)
- Aalborg University (DK)
- McGill University (CA)
- Edinburgh Napier University (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Dancer, S.J.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Journal of Hospital Infection
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2021-04
- Volume
- 110
- Pages
- 89-96
- ISSN
- 0195-6701 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC7805396
- OpenAlex
- W3120172871
- Cited by
- 350
- References
- 69
- Citations by year
- 2026: 21 · 2025: 32 · 2024: 33 · 2023: 46 · 2022: 96 · 2021: 122
- FWCI
- 11.94
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Journal of Hospital Infection (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- VBN Forskningsportal (Aalborg Universitet) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Edinburgh Napier Research Repository (Edinburgh Napier University) (acceptedVersion, other-oa)
- QUT ePrints (Queensland University of Technology) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- National University of Singapore (submittedVersion)
- eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
- The HKU Scholars Hub (University of Hong Kong) (submittedVersion)
- Archivio Istituzionale della Ricerca - Università degli Studi di Cassino (submittedVersion)
- Edinburgh Napier Research Repository (Edinburgh Napier University) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Technical University of Denmark, DTU Orbit (Technical University of Denmark, DTU) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Research Repository (Delft University of Technology) (submittedVersion)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine › Infection Control and Ventilation
- Health Sciences › Dentistry › General Dentistry › Dental Research and COVID-19
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › COVID-19 impact on air quality
- Keywords
- SARS-CoV-2, airborne transmission, COVID-19 pandemic, ventilation, infection control, healthcare settings, community transmission
- MeSH terms
- COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Adult, Aerosols, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Air Microbiology, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Ventilation, Infection Control, Pandemics
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