Open the windows while eating Christmas dinner: The simulation reveals how fresh air removes coronavirus particles from a dining room
- Experts from Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence in Japan did the simulation
- I watched what happens to particles expelled from the mouth of an infected person
- Reveals the opening of windows and doors to improve ventilation has a significant impact on the number of infectious particles in the room
A new shocking video reveals the risks people take when having Christmas dinner with someone who lives in another household.
It shows how in a typical British dining room coronavirus particles expelled from someone’s mouth circulate and infect other people.
Experts from Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence in Japan have built a model to show the level of risk that an asymptomatic person presents to other people at a table.
Engineers hope that their simulation can help individuals and families assess the risk of mixing during the holiday season.

The researchers worked on the 4.9mx 3.7m (16ft x 12ft) room dimensions and ran two versions of their simulation, the room being closed without ventilation (left) and another with two windows and a door open, each for ten minutes (right). )
The researchers worked on the dimensions of the 4.9mx 3.7m (16ft x 12ft) camera and ran two versions of their simulation, the camera being closed without ventilation and another with two windows and a door open, each for ten minutes.
In the videos, researchers map particles ejected from a person’s mouth during normal breathing and speech.
This causes a relatively pedestrian spread of the particles compared to coughing or sneezing.
“Hexagon engineers in Japan created the simulation as part of a public education effort to help authorities and the general public understand how best to protect themselves and each other from COVID-19 transmission,” said Keith Perrin. industry director for Hexagon for MailOnline.
“Being Japanese, they used to distance themselves socially and wear PPE when they were sick, so they were interested in other attitudes.”
The heat from the radiators, food and people sitting around a table forces the particles to the ceiling, but if there is insufficient ventilation, they have nowhere to escape and are forced to turn and spin around the room.
However, if there is ample ventilation from open windows, the particles are sucked in almost immediately and away from other people.
“Good ventilation is key – just make sure as many windows and doors are open to help keep air out and particles from accumulating,” Mr Perrin said.

In the videos, researchers map particles ejected from a person’s mouth during normal breathing and speech. This causes a relatively pedestrian spread of the particles compared to coughing or sneezing

The heat from the radiators, food and people sitting around a table forces the particles towards the ceiling, but if there is insufficient ventilation, they have nowhere to escape and are forced to turn and spin around the room.

If there is ample ventilation from open windows, infectious particles are aspirated almost immediately and away from other people.
“Social distance is important, regardless of room ventilation, but it is not safe – unventilated simulation shows that the number of infected particles accumulates and moves beyond the minimum recommended distance of 2m, so obtaining airflow into the room is very important for to maximize the effectiveness of social distancing.
“However, at the end of the segment, there are a few elements that compare the effect of an open window.”
He reveals that, based on their calculations, an infected person in an unventilated room would continue to infect six more people.
However, in a medium ventilated dining room, statistically no one else would be infected.
“This simple effort results in a statistically significant change.
“To give you an idea, during three iterations of transmission, assuming similar conditions, mathematically there are 215 fewer people infected!” he says.
“Our studies show that it is not about the transmission ‘if’ it will take place, but about ‘when’. ‘
The Hexagon team used their expertise throughout the pandemic to show people how invisible drops and aerosols can spread without people knowing.
One of their videos shows how better it is to stifle a sneeze with an elbow than not to stop it at all, but it can still endanger people nearby.
Another view showed what can happen if a person does not wear a mask on a tube or train.