acm-header
Sign In

Communications of the ACM

ACM TechNews

Simulating Sneezes, Coughs to Show How COVID-19 Spreads


View as: Print Mobile App Share:
Part of the cloud of droplets generated by a sneeze.

Two groups of researchers at Sandia National Laboratories have published papers on the droplets of liquid sprayed by coughs or sneezes and how far they can travel under different conditions.

Credit: ishn.com

]Two groups of computer scientists used computer facilities at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Sandia National Laboratories to create detailed simulations of droplets sprayed by coughs or sneezes, to demonstrate how COVID-19 spreads.

A study that modeled coughing with and without a breeze and with and without protective barriers found that protective barriers offer protection from larger droplets, while tiny particles can remain airborne for an extended time and can travel farther, depending on environmental conditions. A second study, which modeled smaller aerosol droplets under various conditions, found that face masks and shields can prevent them from traveling far.

From Sandia National Laboratories
View Full Article

 

Abstracts Copyright © 2021 SmithBucklin, Washington, DC, USA


 

No entries found

Sign In for Full Access
» Forgot Password? » Create an ACM Web Account