Dispersion of evaporating cough droplets in tropical outdoor environment

Abstract

The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has focused our attention on airborne droplet transmission. In this study, we simulate the dispersion of cough droplets in a tropical outdoor environment, accounting for the effects of non-volatile components on droplet evaporation. The effects of relative humidity, wind speed, and social distancing on evaporative droplet transport are investigated. Transmission risks are evaluated based on SARS-CoV-2 viral deposition on a person standing 1 m or 2 m away from the cougher. Our results show that the travel distance for a 100 μm droplet can be up to 6.6 m under a wind speed of 2 m/s. This can be further increased under dry conditions. We found that the travel distance of a small droplet is relatively insensitive to relative humidity. For a millimetric droplet, the projected distance can be more than 1 m, even in still air. Significantly greater droplets and viral deposition are found on a body 1 m away from a cougher, compared to 2 m. Despite low inhalation exposure based on a single cough, infection risks may still manifest through successive coughs or higher viral loadings.