Study finds how airborne coronavirus particles spread in grocery store

Scientists in Finland have modeled how small airborne viral particles spread in a grocery store setting, which may help us better understand spread of the new coronavirus.

According to details, a joint project carried out by four Finnish research organisations has studied the transport and spread of coronavirus through the air.

Preliminary results indicate that aerosol particles carrying the virus can remain in the air longer than was originally thought, so it is important to avoid busy public indoor spaces.

This also reduces the risk of droplet infection, which remains the main path of transmission for coronavirus.

The researchers modelled a scenario where a person coughs in an aisle between shelves, like those found in grocery stores; and taking into consideration the ventilation. Aalto University, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and Finnish Meteorological Institute each carried out the modelling independently, using the same starting conditions.

The researchers obtained the same preliminary result: in the situation under investigation, the aerosol cloud spreads outside the immediate vicinity of the coughing person and dilutes in the process.

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However, this can take up to several minutes. ‘Someone infected by the coronavirus, can cough and walk away, but then leave behind extremely small aerosol particles carrying the coronavirus. These particles could then end up in the respiratory tract of others in the vicinity’, explains Aalto University Assistant Professor Ville Vuorinen.

After the new study, it is recommended that people should stay at home if they are unwell and that maintain physical distance with everyone.

The instructions also include coughing into one’s sleeve or a tissue and taking care of good hand hygiene’, says Jussi Sane, Chief Specialist at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare.