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Variants of SARS-CoV-2 are improving for air travel, and people need to wear tight-fitting masks and provide better ventilation, in addition to getting vaccinated, to help stop the spread of the virus that causes Covid -19, according to a study.
The team led by researchers at the University of Maryland in the United States found that people infected with SARS-CoV-2 exhale the infectious virus in their breath, and those infected with the Alpha variant put 43 to 100 times more viruses in the air than infected people. with the original strains of the virus.
The study, published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, also found that loose clothing and surgical masks roughly halved the amount of virus entering the air around infected people.
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“Our latest study provides further evidence for the importance of airborne transmission,” said Don Milton, professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Maryland.
“We know that the Delta variant that is currently circulating is even more contagious than the Alpha variant. Our research indicates that the variants keep getting better for air travel, so we need to provide better ventilation and wear masks well. adjusted, in addition to vaccination, to help stop the spread of the virus, ”Milton said.
The researchers noted that the amount of virus in the air from Alpha-variant infections was much more – 18 times more – than could be explained by the increased amounts of virus in nasal swabs and saliva.
“We already knew that the virus in saliva and nasal swabs was increased in Alpha variant infections,” said doctoral student Jianyu Lai, one of the lead authors of the study.
“The nose and mouth virus can be transmitted by large droplet sprays near an infected person. But, our study shows that the virus in expired aerosols increases even more,” said Lai.
The researchers said these major increases in the airborne virus of Alpha infections occurred before the arrival of the Delta variant and indicate that the virus is evolving to move better in the air.
To test whether face masks block transmission of the virus between people, the study measured the amount of SARS-CoV-2 inhaled in the air and tested the amount of virus less than people with Covid-19 exhaled into the air after being put on. a surgical cloth or mask.
The face coverings significantly reduced the virus-charged particles in the air around the person with Covid-19, reducing the amount by about 50%, the researchers found.
However, the loose fabric and surgical masks did not prevent the infectious virus from entering the air, they said.
“The take-home messages from this article are that the coronavirus can be in your exhaled breath, improve in your exhaled breath, and using a mask reduces the chances that you will breathe it on others,” Jennifer German, study co-author said.
“This means that a layered approach to control measures – including improved ventilation, increased filtration, UV air sanitation and well-fitting masks, in addition to vaccination – is essential to protect people in the area. public jobs and interior spaces, ”German added.
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