Scholarlink

<p>Crowded and poorly ventilated indoor spaces drive outbreaks of respiratory infections such as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), often leading to superspreading events. While overcrowding heightens risk, its interplay with space size and ventilation remains underexplored. We introduce a framework to assess this risk, using <i>effective clean flow rate</i>, which combines clean airflow (outdoor air, filtration, ultraviolet germicidal irradiation) with <i>volume-time air clearance</i> (VTAC), i.e., dilution from indoor air volume per person over time, and <i>intake fraction time</i>, which quantifies aerosol exposure risk independent of infectious quanta generation. Analysis of real outbreak data from jails, earthquake shelters, and dormitories shows modest spaciousness (16-32 m<sup>3</sup>/person) increases effective clean flow by 8.7 to 17.6 L/s per person in low-ventilation settings (0.5 L/s per person, 1-hour exposure), reducing exposure. Current standards, such as American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) 62.1-2022, fall short in crowded spaces, heightening infection risks. Our model predicts infection patterns, showing VTAC is a critical yet overlooked factor in limiting long-range airborne transmission. These insights call for updated ventilation and spaciousness standards to strengthen public health strategies.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Quantifying crowding-ventilation effect on respiratory infections

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2026年5月21日

查看全文
  • Wei Jia,
  • Pan Cheng,
  • Jian Hang,
  • Hua Qian,
  • Yuguo Li

摘要

Crowded and poorly ventilated indoor spaces drive outbreaks of respiratory infections such as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), often leading to superspreading events. While overcrowding heightens risk, its interplay with space size and ventilation remains underexplored. We introduce a framework to assess this risk, using effective clean flow rate, which combines clean airflow (outdoor air, filtration, ultraviolet germicidal irradiation) with volume-time air clearance (VTAC), i.e., dilution from indoor air volume per person over time, and intake fraction time, which quantifies aerosol exposure risk independent of infectious quanta generation. Analysis of real outbreak data from jails, earthquake shelters, and dormitories shows modest spaciousness (16-32 m3/person) increases effective clean flow by 8.7 to 17.6 L/s per person in low-ventilation settings (0.5 L/s per person, 1-hour exposure), reducing exposure. Current standards, such as American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) 62.1-2022, fall short in crowded spaces, heightening infection risks. Our model predicts infection patterns, showing VTAC is a critical yet overlooked factor in limiting long-range airborne transmission. These insights call for updated ventilation and spaciousness standards to strengthen public health strategies.