A cough expelled at 10 m/s can cause droplets to travel four to five seats ahead and one seat behind. This experiment predicts that 5-10 people could get infected due to droplet spread with an infected person on board. Aerosol  plumes may affect far more but the extent to which aerosol plumes can infect susceptible hosts is still poorly understood. 

Smith College

University of South Florida

- cabin of airplane

- interior space of car

- dormitory-type space of healthcare or isolation center

Effect of Confined Space on SARS-CoV-2-laden Aerosol and Droplet Behavior

Airplanes typically maintain 20 to 30 air exchanges per hour (ACH) to control dissipation of virus-laden droplets and aerosols from the cabin. About half of the air is filtered and re-circulated via high-efficiency particulate air (HERPA) filters. More than 99% of 0.3 μm aerosols can be removed

Aerodynamics in Cabin of Airplane

Jayaweera, M., Perera, H., Gunawardana, B., & Manatunge, J. (2020). Transmission of COVID-19 virus by droplets and aerosols: A critical review on the unresolved dichotomy. Environmental Research, 188, 109819. Advance online publication.

doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109819

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7293495/

Transmission of COVID-19 virus by droplets and aerosols: A critical review on the unresolved dichotomy

Aerosol and Droplet Behavior in Cabin of Airplane

- Model #1

- Model #2

(The numbering does not indicate prioritization)

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