Fluid dynamics of COVID-19 airborne infection suggests urgent data for a scientific design of social distancing

This paper investigates the fluid dynamics of COVID-19 airborne transmission to inform social distancing guidelines. Using high-fidelity numerical simulations, the researchers track the movement and evaporation of thousands of respiratory droplets expelled during a cough, considering variations in initial droplet size distributions and ambient relative humidity. Results show significant discrepancies in predictions depending on these factors, highlighting the need for more accurate characterization of droplet size distributions at emission and a better understanding of the infectious potential of viruses carried on dry versus wet nuclei. The study emphasizes the inadequacy of current knowledge for establishing scientifically sound social distancing rules and calls for further research to address these crucial knowledge gaps.

M. E. Rosti, S. Olivieri, M. Cavaiola, A. Seminara, A. Mazzino