Viral Load of SARS-CoV-2 in Respiratory Aerosols Emitted by COVID-19 Patients while Breathing, Talking, and Singing.
Kristen Kelli ColemanDouglas Jie Wen TayKai Sen TanSean Wei Xiang OngThan The SonMing Hui KohYi Qing ChinHaziq NasirTze Minn MakJustin Jang Hann ChuDonald K MiltonVincent T K ChowPaul Anantharajah TambyahMark ChenTham Kwok WaiPublished in: Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (2021)
Fine aerosols produced by talking and singing contain more SARS-CoV-2 copies than coarse aerosols and may play a significant role in SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Exposure to fine aerosols, especially indoors, should be mitigated. Isolating viable SARS-CoV-2 from respiratory aerosol samples remains challenging, and whether this can be more easily accomplished for emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants is an urgent enquiry necessitating larger-scale studies.