![blood is the only bodily fluid that can carry pathogens. blood is the only bodily fluid that can carry pathogens.](https://safetec.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/17102_Univ_prec_hardcase_kit_new.jpg)
Perhaps the patients coughed the viruses into the air, and closed the bathroom door, leaving the tiny aerosol droplets to float for hours. Scientists found the RNA in the air of bathrooms, which patients used only a few minutes at a time. In Wuhan hospitals scientists found SARS-CoV-2 RNA in air samples in many rooms, with different kinds of patients, especially those having little ventilation ( Guo et al.). Even 12-47 days after symptom onset, air samples around patients had SARS-CoV-2 RNA ( Feng B, Xu K, et al.). They could not culture the viruses, perhaps because of low concentrations or long times since viruses were left ( Zhou J, Otter, et al.). In London hospitals, RT-qPCR found SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the air in patients’ room, staff rooms, and a public area. Most aerosols are 4 µm and 1-4 µm, even though none had aerosol-generating procedures or intranasal oxygen supplementation ( Chia et al.). Aerosols 5 seconds, farther than 2 meters distance, and enter a person’s respiratory tract ( Nazaroff Wang C, Prather K, et al.). The larger droplets (>100 μm, microns, micrometers in diameter) usually float less than 2 meters in distance (6 feet) and fall down onto a surface. Pushing air through the bronchioles, main bronchi, trachea, larynx, vocal cords, mouth, tongue, and lips expels these droplets and particles ( Nazaroff). Cases with higher viral loads were more likely to transmit to secondary cases, with shorter incubation periods in the secondary cases ( Marks et al.).Įxhaling, speaking, sneezing, or coughing spreads saliva droplets of different sizes into the air, that can go in the mouth, nose, or eyes of another person ( Anfinrud et al. But infected people did not infect another person more than 9 days after symptom onset ( Cevik, Tate, et al. SARS-CoV-2 viral load (the number of viruses) peaks at about the fifth day after start of symptoms, lasting on average 17 days.
![blood is the only bodily fluid that can carry pathogens. blood is the only bodily fluid that can carry pathogens.](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51%2BKYTH%2BsqL._SL500_AC_SS350_.jpg)
Tests using viral cultures showed that some patients shed viable viruses for up to 60 days ( Arons et al.
![blood is the only bodily fluid that can carry pathogens. blood is the only bodily fluid that can carry pathogens.](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/S/aplus-media/vc/3366303b-4d6b-4df4-b7a8-0d35251804c7._SL220__.jpg)
Zhang W, Du et al.), showing that saliva or mucous can probably transmit the novel coronavirus. PCR tests found SARS-CoV-2 RNA in saliva samples and oral swabs of patients ( Abasiyanik et al. Those viruses attach to those molecules to enter cells ( Huang N, Pérez, et al. SARS-CoV-2 replicates in the throat ( Wölfel et al.), mouth, tongue, and salivary glands because they have much angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2), and furin. Saliva and mucous, and the tissues producing them, are some of the main routes in which SARS-CoV-2 replicates and transmits ( Collins Huang N, Perez, et al.