Understanding and Reducing the Spread of Respiratory Pathogens Through The Air - Dr. Lidia Morawska

Описание: Dr. Lidia Morawska, PhD, discusses the characteristics and importance of transmission of bacterial and viral pathogens through the air, along with strategies to mitigate airborne transmission. Health Watch USA(sm) webinar. Aug. 29, 2025.

Abstract: Dr. Lidia Morawska, an expert in air quality, discussed the science behind infectious respiratory particles, emphasizing the importance of understanding their generation and spread. All respiratory activities, especially louder ones like singing, produce particles that can remain suspended in the air for extended periods, increasing the risk of transmission of viruses such as SARS-CoV-2. Smaller particles, originating deeper in the respiratory tract, tend to carry higher viral loads.

Dr. Morawska highlighted historical resistance to recognizing airborne transmission, noting that scientific consensus and interdisciplinary collaboration were essential in shifting global perspectives, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. She cited the need for robust ventilation far beyond merely opening windows, as mechanical ventilation systems significantly reduce infection rates. A study in Italy demonstrated lower COVID-19 cases in classrooms equipped with mechanical ventilation compared to those without.

The presentation underscored the necessity for better building designs focused on indoor air quality and continuous monitoring of ventilation performance. Dr. Morawska advocated for indoor air quality regulations akin to outdoor standards, pointing out that voluntary measures often fall short, especially in schools. Low-cost CO2 sensors offer practical means for individuals and institutions to assess air quality and mitigate risks.
Ultimately, Dr. Morawska called for clean indoor air as a public health norm, suggesting that improved air quality regulation would yield benefits comparable to other historical advances in sanitation, with far less investment required. (Abstract was AI Assisted)

Presentation Time Index:

02:27 Generation of Infectious Respiratory Particles
04:45 Spread of Pathogens Through The Air

08:38 Reducing the Spread Lessons Learned
09:17 Interdisciplinary expert knowledge should be the guiding factor in infection risk control and indoor air quality management in general.
11:31 Ventilation must go far beyond advice to “open the window”.
14:28 Better building designs that optimize ventilation performance, with indoor air quality as the focus, should be the guiding principle behind the construction of buildings in the future.
15:38 Ventilation performance should be monitored at all times when buildings are occupied.

17:08 Reducing Airborne Pathogens as Part of Achieving Clean Indoor Air.
17:19 Indoor air quality must be regulated to protect human health in public spaces.

Questions
23:21 The Resistance in Accepting That COVID-19 is Airborne
24:28 Use of Portable CO2 Monitors