The present paper investigates droplet and aerosol emission from the human respiratory function by numerical and experimental methods, which is analyzed at the worst-case scenario, a violent sneeze without a face covering. The research findings develop the understanding of airborne disease transmission relevant to COVID-19, its recent variants, and other airborne pathogens. A human sneeze is studied using a multiphase Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model using detached eddy simulation coupled to the emission of droplets that break up, evaporate, and disperse. The model provides one of the first experimental benchmarks of CFD predictions of a human sneeze event. The experiments optically capture aerosols and droplets and are processed to provide spatiotemporal data to validate the CFD model. Under the context of large random uncertainty, the studies indicate the reasonable correlation of CFD prediction with experimental measurements using velocity profiles and exposure levels, indicating that the model captures the salient details relevant to pathogen dispersion. Second, the CFD model was extended to study the effect of relative humidity with respect to the Wells curve, providing additional insight into the complexities of evaporation and sedimentation characteristics in the context of turbulent and elevated humidity conditions associated with the sneeze. The CFD results indicated correlation with the Wells curve with additional insight into features, leading to non-conservative aspects associated with increased suspension time. These factors are found to be associated with the combination of evaporation and fluid-structure-induced suspension. This effect is studied for various ambient air humidity levels and peaks for lower humidity levels, indicating that the Wells curve may need a buffer in dry climates. Specifically, we find that the increased risk in dry climates may be up to 50% higher than would be predicted using the underlying assumptions in Wells’ model.

Background Airborne viral pathogens like SARS-CoV-2 can be encapsulated and transmitted through liquid droplets/aerosols formed during human respiratory events. Methods The number and extent of droplets/aerosols at distances between 1–6ft [0.305–1.829m] for cases of a participant wearing no face covering, a cotton single-layer cloth face covering, and a three-layer disposable face covering were measured for defined speech and cough events. The data includes planar particle imagery to illuminate emissions by a light-sheet, and local aerosol/droplet probes taken with Phase Doppler Interferometry and an Aerodynamic Particle Sizer. Results Without face coverings, droplets/aerosols were detected up to a maximum of 1.25m [4.1ft±(0.22ft–0.28ft)] during speech, and up to 1.37m [4.5ft±(0.19ft–0.33ft)] while coughing. The cloth face covering reduced maximum axial distances to 0.61m [2.0ft±(0.11ft–0.15ft)] for speech, and to 0.67m [2.2ft±(0.02ft–0.20ft)] while coughing, respectively. Using the disposable face covering, safe distance was reduced further to 0.15m [0.50ft±(0.01ft–0.03ft)], measured for both emission scenarios. In addition, the use of face coverings was highly effective in reducing the count of expelled aerosols. Conclusions The experimental study indicates that 3ft [0.914m] physical distancing with face coverings is equally as effective at reducing aerosol/droplet exposure as 6ft [1.829m] with no face covering.

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