The scientific data taken as a whole confirm the possibility of transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus by aerosols loaded with particles that have retained their infectivity. However, it is currently impossible to determine what is the respective share of the different transmission routes of SARS-CoV-2 in the general population, namely:
- direct contact with an infected individual;
- transmission by droplets and aerosols at short distance (less than 2 meters);
- long-range aerosol transmission;
- indirect contact with contaminated surfaces.
The respective shares of these four transmission routes would need to be quantified by the scientific community. In closed environments, this would allow in particular toadapter management measures and barrier gestures to be adopted according to different identified situations and the corresponding parameters, such as the humidity level, the temperature and the volume of the room, the number of people present, the presence or absence of a ventilation system, etc.
Acquire new data to advance knowledge on the viability of the virus in the air
In particular, the Agency identifies the following areas of research:
- determine the viability of SARS-CoV-2 in the air in different representative conditions those of indoor environments and the actual emission of viruses by infected individuals: viral load emitted, excretion matrix, environmental conditions of temperature, humidity, dust;
- acquire, share and centralize data on possible clusters identified in indoor environments open to the public where the conditions are favorable to the risk of transmission by aerosols, such as in restaurants, bars, or sports halls, and accompany them with contextual data: place, date, volume of interior space, ventilation, number of people infected, etc. ;
- develop knowledge regarding viral load in exhaled air on the history of the disease, on its infectivity, and on the distribution of the infectious load according to the size of the droplets in the air.
