Transmission and infection risk of COVID-19 when people coughing in an elevator.

ABSTRACT: People in cities use elevators daily. With the COVID-19 pandemic, there are more worries about elevator safety, since elevators are often small and crowded. This study used a proven CFD model to see how the virus could spread in elevators. We simulated five people taking in an elevator for 2 min and analyzed the effect of different factors on the amount of virus that could be inhaled, such as the infected person's location, the standing positions of the persons, and the air flow rate. We found that the position of the infected person and the direction they stood greatly impacted virus transmission in the elevator. The use of mechanical ventilation with a flow rate of 30 ACH (air changes per hour) was effective in reducing the risk of infection. In situations where the air flow rate was 3 A

SUBMITTER: Liu S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10122966 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature