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347 Aerodynamic Size Distribution of SARS-CoV-2 Aerosol Shedding

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 April 2024

Kristen K. Coleman
Affiliation:
University of Maryland
Petri Kalliomäkia
Affiliation:
Institute for Applied Environmental Health, University of Maryland School of Public Health, College Park, MD, USA
Jianyu Lai
Affiliation:
Institute for Applied Environmental Health, University of Maryland School of Public Health, College Park, MD, USA
S.-H. Sheldon Tai
Affiliation:
Institute for Applied Environmental Health, University of Maryland School of Public Health, College Park, MD, USA
Jennifer German
Affiliation:
Institute for Applied Environmental Health, University of Maryland School of Public Health, College Park, MD, USA
Filbert Hong
Affiliation:
Institute for Applied Environmental Health, University of Maryland School of Public Health, College Park, MD, USA
Barbara Albert
Affiliation:
Institute for Applied Environmental Health, University of Maryland School of Public Health, College Park, MD, USA
Yi Esparza
Affiliation:
Institute for Applied Environmental Health, University of Maryland School of Public Health, College Park, MD, USA
Aditya K. Srikakulapu
Affiliation:
Institute for Applied Environmental Health, University of Maryland School of Public Health, College Park, MD, USA
Maria Schanz
Affiliation:
Institute for Applied Environmental Health, University of Maryland School of Public Health, College Park, MD, USA
Alycia Ann Smith
Affiliation:
Institute for Applied Environmental Health, University of Maryland School of Public Health, College Park, MD, USA
Isabel Sierra Maldonado
Affiliation:
Institute for Applied Environmental Health, University of Maryland School of Public Health, College Park, MD, USA
Molly Oertela
Affiliation:
Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
Naja Fadula
Affiliation:
Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
Arantza Eiguren-Fernandez
Affiliation:
Aerosol Dynamics Inc., Berkeley, CA, USA
Gregory S. Lewis
Affiliation:
Aerosol Dynamics Inc., Berkeley, CA, USA
Kathleen M. McPhaul
Affiliation:
Institute for Applied Environmental Health, University of Maryland School of Public Health, College Park, MD, USA
Donald K. Milton
Affiliation:
Institute for Applied Environmental Health, University of Maryland School of Public Health, College Park, MD, USA
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Abstract

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OBJECTIVES/GOALS: We designed the Biocascade Exhaled Breath Sampler (BEBS) to characterize viral aerosol shedding among individuals with influenza and other respiratory virus infections. We first aimed to test the BEBS on volunteer COVID-19 cases and report the aerodynamic size distribution of exhaled breath aerosol particles carrying SARS-CoV-2 RNA. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: From June 15 through December 15, 2022, we recruited 27 PCR-confirmed COVID-19 cases from a college campus and the surrounding community to provide 30-minute breath samples into a well-validated Gesundheit-II (G-II) exhaled breath aerosol sampler. Among these individuals, 17 provided an additional exhaled breath sample into the newly designed BEBS. We quantified samples for viral RNA using reverse transcription digital polymerase chain reaction (RT-dPCR) and determined the viral RNA copies collected within two aerosol size fractions (≤5 µm and >5 µm in diameter) from the G-II, and four aerosol size fractions (<1.15 µm, 1.15–3.2 µm, 3.3–8.2 µm, and >8.2 µm) from the BEBS. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Individuals with a SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.4 or BA.5 infection shed virus in aerosols at an average rate of 7.5x103 RNA copies per 30-minute G-II sample, with 78% of the total RNA in aerosols ≤5 µm in diameter. Among the BEBS samples, 10% of the total viral RNA was detected in aerosols <1.15 µm, 43% in 1.15–3.2 µm, 37% in 3.3–8.2 µm, and 10% in the >8.2 µm size fraction. Based on viral RNA loads, our results indicate that exhaled aerosols ≤3.2 µm contribute the majority of SARS-CoV-2 inhalation exposure. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Our data provide additional evidence that respirable aerosols contribute to the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Thus, our data suggest that mitigation measures designed to reduce infectious aerosol inhalation, such as ventilation and the use of air cleaners and respirators, are needed to control the spread.

Type
Other
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BYCreative Common License - NCCreative Common License - ND
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is unaltered and is properly cited. The written permission of Cambridge University Press must be obtained for commercial re-use or in order to create a derivative work.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. The Association for Clinical and Translational Science