Exposure of Ophthalmologists to Patients' Exhaled Droplets in Clinical Practice: A Numerical Simulation of SARS-CoV-2 Exposure Risk.

ABSTRACT: Background: Lack of quantification of direct and indirect exposure of ophthalmologists during ophthalmic diagnostic process makes it hard to estimate the infectious risk of aerosol pathogen faced by ophthalmologists at working environment. Methods: Accurate numerical models of thermal manikins and computational fluid dynamics simulations were used to investigate direct (droplet inhalation and mucosal deposition) and indirect exposure (droplets on working equipment) within a half-minute procedure. Three ophthalmic examination or treatment scenarios (direct ophthalmoscopic examination, slit-lamp microscopic examination, and ophthalmic operation) were selected as typical exposure distance, two breathing modes (normal breathing and coughing), three levels of ambient RH (40

SUBMITTER: Fan Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8488202 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature