Coughs and Sneezes: Their Role in Transmission of Respiratory Viral Infections Including SARS-CoV-2

摘要

The slogan “Coughs and Sneezes Spread Diseases” was coined in the United States during the last great flu pandemic between 1918 and 1920 to highlight the role of coughs and sneezes in disseminating respiratory pathogens. A cough produces approximately 3,000 droplets, whereas a sneeze releases an estimated 40,000 ( – ). The recent pandemic of a novel infectious disease (coronavirus disease [COVID-19]) related to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) ( ) highlights the importance of understanding the generation and fate of the droplets created by coughing and sneezing and other aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs), so as to provide a scientific basis for various preventive measures used to limit the transmission of infection. This work has not previously been published or presented in abstract form.