Covid, the study: pollen carries viruses farther

Tree pollen carries the Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus particles farther, and this factor could facilitate their spread. This is the thesis of a team of scientists from the University of Nicosia, Cyprus, who recreated a computer model to verify the contribution of these micro particles to Covid’s journey ‘around the world’. Most of the models that explain how viruses are transmitted, the authors of the work published in Physics of Fluids highlight, focus on viral particles that escape a person to infect a neighbor. This work reverses the perspective and focuses on how other particles help the virus move. Researchers Talib Dbouk and Dimitris Drikakis set out to investigate how pollen facilitates the spread of an RNA virus like Covid-19. The study is based on state-of-the-art computational approaches for fluid dynamics analysis. Mission of the model built by scientists: to mimic the movement of pollen from a willow. The authors thus observed that granules in the air contribute to the spread of viruses, especially in crowded environments. “As far as we know, this is the first time that micrograins of pollen carried by air in a light breeze have been shown. contribute to the transmission of the virus in crowds outdoors, “says Drikakis. The researchers noted a correlation between Covid-19 infection rates and pollen concentration on the National Allergy Map. After all, each pollen grain, they estimate, can carry hundreds of viral particles at a time. Trees alone can emit 1,500 grains per cubic meter into the air on heavy days. Experts simulated willow pollen and outdoor gatherings of about 10 to 100 people, some of whom release Covid particles, and subjected people to 10,000 pollen grains. By tuning the model to the temperature, wind speed, and humidity of a typical spring day in the United States, pollen passed through the crowd in less than a minute, which – experts reason – could significantly affect load. of virus carried and increase the risk of infection. Among other things, the authors state that thus the ‘social’ distance often cited for Covid recommendations may not be adequate for people at risk of the disease in crowded areas with high pollen. New recommendations should also consider this factor, they suggest.