Taxi or office cab, open the windows opposite to you and the driver to cut COVID-19 risk

Airflow patterns inside a car may worsen or reduce risk of COVID-19 transmission. Opening the window next to you carried a higher exposure risk, compared to putting down the window opposite to you.

By: Longjam Dineshwori | | Updated: December 6, 2020 4:23 pm

Delhi government has made it compulsory to wear masks in cars even while travelling alone.

Not just the droplets from coughing or sneezing, but even aerosols released from talking or simply breathing, can spread the novel coronavirus. Therefore, experts suggest opening the car windows slightly when you’re in a car—be it your own vehicle with others or in a taxi or office cab. This will help dilute the concentration of viral particles in the car, said experts from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in an April 22, 2020 opinion piece in USA Today. Also Read - Recovered from Covid-19? Your immune system may fight coronavirus variants

Even if all windows can’t be left open, make sure to open the car windows opposite to you and the driver to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission, recommend a team of researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst) and Brown University in the US. Also Read - UK COVID Strain May Be More Infectious But There Is No Need To Panic: Experts

Opening the front window on the right side and the rear window on the left side might best protect the driver and passenger from the hundreds of aerosol particles released in every human breath, they stated in a study published in the journal Science Advances. Also Read - Covid-19 variant detected in UK may be ‘more deadly than the older virus strain’

They added that opening the car window that is closest to you (right beside you) may not be very helpful, though it’s still better than leaving all windows closed.

Airflow inside a car affects COVID-19 transmission risk

The researchers were able to find out that certain airflow patterns inside a car may worsen or reduce risk of COVID-19 transmission during everyday commutes.

The study was designed with ride-sharing in mind, assuming a driver and one passenger, seated in the back on the passenger side, to provide the best possible spacing between the occupants, said lead author Varghese Mathai, an assistant professor of physics at UMass Amherst.

According to the researchers, aerosolized particles can remain in the air for long durations without settling down. If they are not flushed out of the car’s cabin, these tiny, potentially pathogenic particles can build up over time posing an increased risk of infection, they noted.

Their computer simulations showed that opening windows created airflow patterns that dramatically reduced the concentration of aerosol particles exchanged between a driver and the passenger. Blasting the car’s ventilation system, however, didn’t circulate air as good as opening a few open.

While the best scenario was found when all four windows were left open, even having one or two open was far better than having them all closed, said Asimanshu Das, co-lead author of the research from Brown university.

The researchers believe that opening the rear and front windows on opposite sides can create an air current from the rear to the front of the cabin and crossing through the middle. That pattern may help reduce cross-contamination between the driver and passenger.

Driving around with the windows up and the air conditioning or heat on was found to be the worst scenario, said Das.

Wear mask inside a car and wash hands after a trip

While opening the windows can help reduce the pathogen load inside the car cabin, airflow adjustments are no substitute for mask-wearing by both occupants when inside a car, the researchers pointed out.

While sharing rides with others, it is best to wear face masks and wash hands after a trip to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

The Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government has made it compulsory for everyone to wear face masks while travelling in personal or official vehicles, even when travelling alone. Those violating this rule will be imposed a fine of Rs 2000, it said last month.

With inputs from agencies

Published : December 6, 2020 4:18 pm | Updated:December 6, 2020 4:23 pm

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