Small droplet emission in exhaled breath during different breathing manoeuvres: Implications for clinical lung function testing during COVID‐19
Neil J. Greeninga b c d✉, Per Larssone f, Evert Ljungströmg h, Salman Siddiquia b c d, Anna‐Carin Oline f
- aDepartment of Respiratory Sciences University of Leicester Leicester UK
- bInstitute for Lung Health NIHR Biomedical Research Centre Glenfield Hospital Leicester UK
- cDepartment of Respiratory Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
- dInstitute for Lung Health, NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Glenfield Hospital, Leicester, UK
- eUnit of Occupational and Environmental Medicine Department of Public Health and Community Medicine Institute of Medicine Sahlgrenska Academy University of Gothenburg Gothenburg Sweden
- fUnit of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- gAtmospheric science Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology University of Gothenburg Gothenburg Sweden
- hAtmospheric science, Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- ✉Corresponding author
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Abstract
Transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) within the\nhealthcare setting is a major concern for infection prevention. In particular concern has been\nnoted for small droplets (typically ≤5 microns), which have been shown to contain virus1\n, as well\nas remaining airborne for longer, potentially increased spread2\n. Modelling has shown particular\nspread of particles once exhaled during movement and exercise3\n, but increases in exhaled\nparticle mass are less well established, and likely to vary depending on breathing pattern.\nPulmonary function testing (PFTs) is essential to respiratory medicine, and COVID-19 has had\nconsiderable implications4\n. International guidance highlights PFTs as an aerosol generating\nprocedure, but to date the varying response of different breathing manoeuvres have not been\nconsidered (see supplemental figure). The use of in-line filters are standard of care in many lung\nfunction labs, reducing the risk of viral and bacterial contamination. [Opening paragraph]
TL;DRThe objective was to establish an experimental procedure and show direct AFM measurements that unequivocally can be assigned as a biomarker of lung disease progression in animals and show clear AFM signal progression in humans. (Semantic Scholar)