Are you a super virus shitter? This is how researchers identify their physiological characteristics

New Delhi: Without an effective vaccine or specific treatment available for the new coronavirus infection, also known as COVID-19, prevention from getting the infection has been touted as the one and safest best against it. Social distancing, hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene, wearing a mask, staying at home, and keeping the body in its healthiest state have been recommended as some measures people can take to protect themselves from the virus. However, given the asymptomatic nature of the COVID-19 disease and confusion about how long a person remains contagious even after recovering from COVID-19 have led to a wide spread of the virus.

Some people, especially those who are unaware that they carry the virus, have been called “super-spreaders”. Some demographics that have been called the term commonly include children, young adults, and those who don’t follow the precautionary rules. Researchers have now also identified some physiological characteristics that may help understand who might be a super-diffuser of the virus.

Researchers identify the characteristics that make one a super-diffuser of the virus

According to new research from the University of Central Florida, researchers have identified some characteristics that can make one a super-diffuser of the virus. The study appeared in the journal Fluid physics, this month. For the study, the researchers used general computer models to numerically stimulate sneezing in different types of people. They then determined the associations between people’s physical characteristics and how likely their sneeze droplets are to travel or stay in the air.

Photo credits: University of Central Florida

It was found that people who had a stuffy nose, or a full set of teeth, were more likely to spread the virus because of how far their sneeze can travel.

For the uninitiated, exposure to droplets from a person infected with COVID-19 has been considered one of the ways the virus can spread to healthy individuals.

Knowing more about the factors that influence the travel distance of these droplets can inform efforts to control their spread, says Michael Kinzel, assistant professor in the UCF Department of Mechanical Engineering and co-author of the study.

“This is the first study that aims to understand the ‘why’ behind how far sneezing travel,” says Kinzel. “We show that the human body has influencers, such as a complex system of ducts associated with the nasal flow that actually stops the jet from the mouth and prevents it from dispersing droplets over great distances.”

Congested nose, full dentition makes the sneeze droplets travel farther

The study further stated that when people have clean noses, for example after blowing into a handkerchief, the speed of the sneezing droplets and therefore the distance traveled decreases.

When the nose is clear, it allows a passage for the air, in addition to the mouth, which reduces its speed. However, when the output is limited in the case of a congested nose, it increases the speed of the droplets released from the mouth.

Likewise, the teeth can also act as a barrier for the sneeze to exit the body, causing an increase in speed.

The type of saliva can also play a role in the dispersion of sneezing droplets

For the study, the researchers also simulated three types of saliva: thin, medium, and thick.

They found that thinner saliva produced smaller droplets, leading to a spray that stayed in the air longer, compared to medium or thick saliva.

For example, after three seconds of sneezing, thick saliva has reached the ground, reducing the risk of getting an infection. However, the thin saliva remained suspended in the air, which if inhaled by a healthy person, can cause disease.

For example, three seconds after a sneeze, when thick saliva reached the ground and thereby lessened its threat, the thinner saliva still floated in the air as a potential transmitter of disease.

The findings provide new insight into the variability of exposure distance and indicate how physiological factors affect transmissibility rates, says Kareem Ahmed, associate professor in UCF’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and co-author of the study.

“The results show that exposure levels are highly dependent on fluid dynamics which can vary according to different human characteristics,” says Ahmed. “Such characteristics may be factors behind superspreading events in the COVID-19 pandemic.”