The quick spread of the novel coronavirus around the world has bewildered scientists from many different fields, including biomedicine, epidemiology, virology, fluid dynamics, aerosol physics, and public policy.

This has made them study the dynamics of airborne transmission of the coronavirus.

A recently published study in the journal Physics of Fluids dwells on a newly-developed model to help scientists as well as non-scientists to study and understand better the airborne transmission of the virus.

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The researchers proposed the Contagion Airborne Transmission (CAT) inequality model. While not all factors in the CAT inequality model may be known, it can still be used to assess relative risks, since the situational risk is proportional to the exposure time.

Author Rajat Mittal said in a statement: “If you double your distance, you generally double your protection. This kind of scaling or rule can help inform policy.”

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The scientists also found even simple cloth masks provide significant protection, helping reduce the spread of Covid-19.

Mittal added: “We also show that any physical activity that increases the breathing rate and volume of people will increase the risk of transmission. These findings have important implications for the reopening of schools, gyms, or malls.”

The CAT inequality model is based on the idea that airborne transmission occurs if a susceptible person inhales a viral dose that exceeds the minimum infectious dose.

The model includes variables that can be added at each of the three stages of airborne transmission: generation, expulsion, and aerosolisation of the virus-containing droplets from the mouth and nose of an infected host.

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