American scientists were the first to build a hydrodynamic model of the spread of coronavirus in air-conditioned rooms, as a result of which they discovered two new non-obvious ways of spreading COVID-19 in the air. The research results are published in the journal Physics of Fluids.
For example, physicists from the University of Minnesota built a model of the hydrodynamics of the movement of the virus and estimated how different factors affect the transmission routes and the risk of infection by airborne droplets.
The specialists used the advanced computing power of a supercomputer, thanks to which they were able to simulate the capture of viral particles in complex streams that occur when cold air from air conditioners interacts with a hot plume.
As a result, researchers have identified two more potential airborne transmission routes that are now often overlooked: the stream of warm aerosols rising from under the table, and the reverse stream of air passing through air conditioners.
In connection with the discovery, the authors proposed introducing additional security measures against coronavirus in closed air-conditioned rooms. So, it is necessary to screen the space under the tables and increase the filtration efficiency of air conditioners.
Previously, scientists at the University of Nicosia School of Medicine discovered that temperature, humidity and wind speed play a large role in the transmission of coronavirus. Experts drew attention to the fact that modern forecasts often take into account only a few factors: the rate of recovery of patients and the rate of transmission of the pathogen.