This study calculates and elucidates the minimum size of respiratory particles that are potential carriers of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2); furthermore, it evaluates the aerosol generation potential of SARS-CoV-2. The calculations are based on experimental results and theoretical models. In the case of maximum viral-loading derived from experimental data of COVID-19 patients, 7.18 × 10 −4 % of a respiratory fluid particle from a COVID-19 patient is occupied by SARS-CoV-2. Hence, the minimum size of a respiratory particle that can contain SARS-CoV-2 is calculated to be approximately 4.7 μm. The minimum size of the particles can decrease due to the evaporation of water on the particle surfaces. There are limitations to this analysis: (a) assumption that the viruses are homogeneously distributed in respiratory fluid particles and (b) considering a gene copy as a single virion in unit conversions. However, the study shows that high viral loads can decrease the minimum size of respiratory particles containing SARS-CoV-2, thereby increasing the probability of aerosol generation of the viruses. The aerosol generation theory created in this study for COVID-19 has the potential to be applied to other contagious diseases that are caused by respiratory infectious microorganisms.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, viral infection, SARS, Airborne transmission, aerosol, droplet, virus transmission, aerosol transmission, MERS, bioaerosol, Nosocomial infection, Middle East respiratory syndrome Coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 bioaerosol, air infection, respiratory particle, contagious disease, minimum size, aerosol suspension time, 【초록키워드】 viruses, SARS-CoV-2, coronavirus, Particle, Aerosol generation, Probability, Viral load, microorganisms, COVID-19 patients, COVID-19 patient, acute respiratory syndrome, limitation, assumption, virion, carrier, decrease, evaluate, caused, virus, calculated, calculate, respiratory fluid, 【제목키워드】 SARS-CoV-2, Particle, respiratory, minimum, Generation, Carrying,