• Michael Schuit, Shanna Ratnesar-Shumate, Jason Yolitz, Gregory Williams, Wade Weaver, Brian Green, David Miller, Melissa Krause, Katie Beck, Stewart Wood, Brian Holland, Jordan Bohannon, Denise Freeburger, Idris Hooper, Jennifer Biryukov, Louis A Altamura, Victoria Wahl, Michael Hevey, and Paul Dabisch.
• National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center, Operated by Battelle National Biodefense Institute for the US Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate, Frederick, Maryland, USA.
• J. Infect. Dis. 2020 Jul 23; 222 (4): 564-571.

AbstractAerosols represent a potential transmission route of COVID-19. This study examined effect of simulated sunlight, relative humidity, and suspension matrix on stability of SARS-CoV-2 in aerosols. Simulated sunlight and matrix significantly affected decay rate of the virus. Relative humidity alone did not affect the decay rate; however, minor interactions between relative humidity and other factors were observed. Mean decay rates (± SD) in simulated saliva, under simulated sunlight levels representative of late winter/early fall and summer were 0.121 ± 0.017 min-1 (90% loss, 19 minutes) and 0.306 ± 0.097 min-1 (90% loss, 8 minutes), respectively. Mean decay rate without simulated sunlight across all relative humidity levels was 0.008 ± 0.011 min-1 (90% loss, 286 minutes). These results suggest that the potential for aerosol transmission of SARS-CoV-2 may be dependent on environmental conditions, particularly sunlight. These data may be useful to inform mitigation strategies to minimize the potential for aerosol transmission.© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

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