Italian researchers hypothesize that the speed at which the coronavirus spreads may have something to do with fine particles. Northern Italy is one of the most industrialized provinces in Europe. The south of the country, on the contrary, is much more rural. A study to be taken with tweezers because it is not unanimous in the scientific community.
Twelve Italian researchers show a correlation between the level of fine particles and the spread of Covid-19. This study looked, among other things, at the number and evolution of cases region by region . As soon as the milestone of 50 cases is passed and within the following eleven days, the figures are noted. It is therefore possible to see that in the region of Milan, Lombardy, which is located in the north of the country, this milestone of 50 cases was reached on February 22. Eleven days later, 1,550 cases are counted. To the south, in Campania, the region of Naples, had 300 additional cases, eleven days after reaching the first threshold and in Puglia, 250 new cases.
Once these numbers are noted; they have to be analyzed. Projections from epidemic models appear to be normal in southern regions, but stronger in northern ones. It would seem that a factor outside the traditional means of propagation is involved , but which one?
For these researchers, fine particles could be in question. They observe that the periods during which the epidemic accelerated in northern Italy are "concomitant with the presence of high concentrations of atmospheric particles" . The levels of PM10 (particles less than 10 microns) were for example higher than normal during the month of February, when the diffusion accelerated. Conversely, they indicate that in the Roman region, which also concentrated cases, there was neither a pollution peak nor an acceleration of the spread. Thus, fine particles could constitute an "effective vector for the transport, propagation and proliferation of viral infections ”.
Faced with these conclusions, many researchers are skeptical and warn against a study that has not yet been published in a scientific journal, therefore validated by its peers. “When the persistence of the virus in the air is tested in the laboratory, the experimental conditions are very different from those of the street . (…) It's not absolutely impossible, nor inconceivable, but it's not a scientific proof in my opinion. (…) There is automatically an analysis bias – without invalidating the hypothesis itself:the most polluted regions are also the most populated regions , and therefore the one where the epidemic is most likely to spread”, explains Professor François Bricaire, infectious disease specialist, to Marianne.
One of the big questions that has arisen since the beginning of the epidemic is to know the reaction of the Coronavirus in the open air. Currently, no one has a definitive answer to this question, although studies have emerged.
Coronavirus has been shown to survive for three hours in the form of particles in the air. To demonstrate this, the virus was projected by an aerosol. However, an aerosol sends droplets that are lighter than those of a cough or a sneeze. Although this study remains interesting, its conditions unfortunately do not correspond to what happens in real life, explain other researchers. Only time and scientific experimentation can shed light on the reactions of this virus.
