COVID-19 has completely changed the face of travel as we know it, with a massive number of people flying and public transport – but our cars have remained a mystery. How safe are we in our vehicles? What are our risks?
A study published by Science Advances in early January began answering some of the most pressing questions about COVID-19 transmission in our vehicles. Four scientists from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and Brown University used by calculation fluid dynamics to assess the risks of the virus in the cab of a vehicle and also suggested ways to mitigate the risk.
If you are familiar with the design process of a race car or an airplane, then you have probably encountered more fluid calculation dynamics. In essence, these computer simulations model how gases and liquids move over and through different surfaces. In this case, scientists used CFDs to model how air moves inside a car.
The simulated vehicle used in the study was based on a Toyota Prius traveling at a speed of 50 mph carrying two passengers: a driver in the left front of the car and a passenger in the right rear. Interestingly, the airflow outside the moving machine creates a pressure gradient inside the car that causes air to circulate from behind the car in front. Then they began to model the flow of indoor air with different combinations of open or closed windows. It is important to note here that, regardless of the combination, the air conditioning was on.
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The results will probably not be surprising. When all four windows were closed, the car was at the weakest vent, so eight to 10 percent of the aerosols – on which COVID-19 moves – exhaled by one person in the car moved to the other. When all the windows were open, the car was at the best level of ventilation, with only 0.2 to two percent of the aerosols changing between passengers.
Of course, wide-open windows are not always practical when driving. In the north, you will freeze in winter. In the south, someone with a delicate constitution will melt in the summer. Heavy rain will make things twice as miserable. So if the driver and passenger rolled on the windows, it turned out to be better than keeping everything closed. That diagonal the configuration allows air to flow and then return immediately. It may not be comfortable, but it could save lives.
A subsequent study that has not yet been published found that cracking windows halfway was also a good idea, but only running them a quarter of the way was significantly more dangerous. New York Times reports. For larger vehicles, such as minivans or for vehicles that carry more people, the recommendation is to keep everything open.
Opening windows has been recommended since the virus appeared. Increased ventilation allows viral particles to be removed rather than recirculated. And we also know that the smaller the space we share, the more likely we are to change aerosol particles. Basically, this study just used science to give us the ideal strategy for, say, rideshares or short trips outside your balloon.
Of course, there are still dangers, even when you open your windows. In fact, driving with the windows open increases air pollution in the car by 80%, which increases your likelihood of dying from air pollution.
The best option is, of course, to stay at home, unless absolutely necessary, and when you travel, do so during peak hours.