Airborne Transmission of SARS-CoV-2
Theoretical Considerations and Available Evidence
Michael Klompas, MD, MPH1,2; Meghan A. Baker, MD, ScD1,2; Chanu Rhee, MD, MPH1,2
Author Affiliations Article Information
JAMA. Published online July 13, 2020. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.12458
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has reawakened the long-standing debate about the extent to which common respiratory viruses, including the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), are transmitted via respiratory droplets vs aerosols. Droplets are classically described as larger entities (>5 μm) that rapidly drop to the ground by force of gravity, typically within 3 to 6 feet of the source person. Aerosols are smaller particles (≤5 μm) that rapidly evaporate in the air, leaving behind droplet nuclei that are small enough and light enough to remain suspended in the air for hours (analogous to pollen).