Areas for future research
Whilst there is an obvious need for larger scale clinical studies to
attempt to support some of the more tentative findings reviewed here,
there are some specific avenues in which future work could be focused.
Although OPC technology has allowed studies to test for particles as
small as 0.3µm, some reports place COVID-19 at 0.1µm in
diameter.2 Ideally work should employ methods of
detecting particles of this size to prevent underestimation when
assessing risk.
Ultimately, whilst there are a host of studies considering the spread of
both droplets,13-18 through which COVID-19 has been
reported to spread, and smaller particles,19-24 of
which COVID-19 is one, all work has been somewhat indirect in its
methodology with no studies able to ascertain whether COVID-19 would be
found in any of the aerosols detected or, and somewhat crucially,
whether it would be viable to cause infection in another host. Whilst it
is challenging to prescribe the best means by which to achieve these
aims, harnessing existing methods for sampling airborne viruses may
provide more definitive answers.36