Mary Wilson
Well-known member
Boosting indoor humidity in winter can hinder transmission of the virus
By Akiko Iwasaki on January 19, 2021...
... Research, including our own, is beginning to illustrate that there is a relationship between the aerial transmission of viruses and temperature and humidity, which is impacted by both indoor and outdoor environments.
... This comparatively moisture-free air provides a clear path for dispersal of airborne particles of viruses such as SARS-CoV2, the pathogen that causes COVID-19. The SARS-CoV-2 virus survives better at low temperatures and low humidity. Estimated virus half-life was more than 24 hours at 10 degrees C (50 degrees F) and 40 percent relative humidity, but only 90 minutes at 27 degrees C (80 degrees F) and 65 percent relative humidity. Our own research indicates that dry air also reduces the ability of our body’s cilia—hairlike projections on cells lining airways—to remove viral particles and prevent them from reaching the lungs. Finally, the immune system’s ability to respond to pathogens is suppressed in drier environments. Indeed, a study conducted in New South Wales, Australia, demonstrates an inverse relationship between relative humidity and transmission of SARS-CoV-2.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/...t-covid-beyond-masking-and-social-distancing/
By Akiko Iwasaki on January 19, 2021...
... Research, including our own, is beginning to illustrate that there is a relationship between the aerial transmission of viruses and temperature and humidity, which is impacted by both indoor and outdoor environments.
... This comparatively moisture-free air provides a clear path for dispersal of airborne particles of viruses such as SARS-CoV2, the pathogen that causes COVID-19. The SARS-CoV-2 virus survives better at low temperatures and low humidity. Estimated virus half-life was more than 24 hours at 10 degrees C (50 degrees F) and 40 percent relative humidity, but only 90 minutes at 27 degrees C (80 degrees F) and 65 percent relative humidity. Our own research indicates that dry air also reduces the ability of our body’s cilia—hairlike projections on cells lining airways—to remove viral particles and prevent them from reaching the lungs. Finally, the immune system’s ability to respond to pathogens is suppressed in drier environments. Indeed, a study conducted in New South Wales, Australia, demonstrates an inverse relationship between relative humidity and transmission of SARS-CoV-2.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/...t-covid-beyond-masking-and-social-distancing/
