Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33453351›Full record

ReviewThe Journal of hospital infection2021

Dismantling myths on the airborne transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2).

J W Tang, W P Bahnfleth, P M Bluyssen, G Buonanno, J L Jimenez, J Kurnitski, Y Li, S Miller, C Sekhar, L Morawska and 7 more

Open access · bronzeAbstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in The Journal of hospital infection, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 149 papers, 8 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
149citing papers in PubMed, 8 pooled it
48.0field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

149 citing papers in PubMed, 8 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 368 citations in OpenAlex.

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89 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

17 authors at 15 institutions in 10 countries.

J W TangRespiratory Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.
W P BahnflethDepartment of Architectural Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA.
P M BluyssenFaculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands.
G BuonannoDepartment of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, Cassino, Italy.
J L JimenezDepartment of Chemistry and CIRES, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA.
J KurnitskiREHVA Technology and Research Committee, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia.
Y LiDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
S MillerMechanical Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA.
C SekharDepartment of Building, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
L MorawskaInternational Laboratory for Air Quality and Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
L C MarrCivil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
A K MelikovInternational Centre for Indoor Environment and Energy, Department of Civil Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.
W W NazaroffDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
P V NielsenFaculty of Engineering and Science, Department of Civil Engineering, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.
R TellierDepartment of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
P WargockiInternational Centre for Indoor Environment and Energy, Department of Civil Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.
S J DancerDepartment of Microbiology, NHS Lanarkshire, Glasgow, UK; School of Applied Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, UK. Electronic address: stephanie.dancer@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk.
Technical University of Denmark · DKUniversity of Colorado Boulder · USAalborg University · DKDelft University of Technology · NLMcGill University · CANational University of Singapore · SGNHS Lanarkshire · GBPennsylvania State University · USQueensland University of Technology · AUTallinn University of Technology · EEUniversità degli studi di Cassino e del Lazio Meridionale · ITUniversity of California, Berkeley · USUniversity of Hong Kong · HKUniversity of Leicester · GBVirginia Tech · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused untold disruption throughout the world. Understanding the mechanisms for transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is key to preventing further spread, but there is confusion over the meaning of 'airborne' whenever transmission is discussed. Scientific ambivalence originates from evidence published many years ago which has generated mythological beliefs that obscure current thinking. This article collates and explores some of the most commonly held dogmas on airborne transmission in order to stimulate revision of the science in the light of current evidence. Six 'myths' are presented, explained and ultimately refuted on the basis of recently published papers and expert opinion from previous work related to similar viruses. There is little doubt that SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted via a range of airborne particle sizes subject to all the usual ventilation parameters and human behaviour. Experts from specialties encompassing aerosol studies, ventilation, engineering, physics, virology and clinical medicine have joined together to produce this review to consolidate the evidence for airborne transmission mechanisms, and offer justification for modern strategies for prevention and control of COVID-19 in health care and the community.

Indexed as

AerosolsAir MicrobiologyAdultAgedAged, 80 and overCOVID-19FemaleHumansInfection ControlMaleMiddle AgedPandemicsSARS-CoV-2VentilationAerosolsAerosolAirCOVID-19SARS-CoV-2TransmissionVirus

Identifiers

PMID33453351
PMCPMC7805396
OpenAlexW3120172871

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.