Recognizing and controlling airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in indoor environments
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Recognizing and controlling airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in indoor environmentsSharing indoor space has been confirmed as a major risk factor in transmission of SARS-CoV-2.A study of over 7000 cases found that all outbreaks involving three or more people occurred indoors. 1 Thus, identifying the dominant modes of transmission is an urgent public health priority so that appropriate control strategies can be selected and deployed.Here, we present three lines of evidence supporting the potential for airborne transmission and recommend steps to mitigate the risk in indoor environments.
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Numerous publications have attempted to overturn mistaken ideas about transmission routes for respiratory infectious diseases and have initiated a paradigm shift towards more accurate definitions.
“Numerous publications have attempted to overturn mistaken ideas about transmission routes for respiratory infectious diseases,117, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143 and have initiated a paradigm shift towards more accurate definitions.117”
From The Lancet Commission on lessons for the future from the COVID-19 pandemic (2022) · cites this paper as [137]
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- Authors
- Allen, J. G., & Marr, L. C.
- Affiliations
- Harvard University (US)
- Virginia Tech (US)
- Corresponding author
- Marr, Linsey C.
- Venue
- Indoor Air
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2020-06-19
- Volume
- 30
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 557-558
- ISSN
- 0905-6947 (ISSN-L)
- 1600-0668
- PMC
- PMC7323102
- OpenAlex
- W3036882929
- Cited by
- 136
- References
- 13
- Citations by year
- 2026: 11 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 20 · 2021: 47 · 2020: 22
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Locations
- Indoor Air (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- VTechWorks (Virginia Tech) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
- Research Committee, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine › Infection Control and Ventilation
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Indoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › COVID-19 impact on air quality
- Keywords
- SARS-CoV-2, airborne transmission, indoor environment, transmission control strategy, COVID-19 pandemic
- MeSH terms
- Betacoronavirus, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, China, Humans, Pneumonia, Viral, Coronavirus Infections, Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus, Pandemics
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