Open AccessAirway Hygiene in Children and Adults for Lowering Respiratory Droplet Exposure in Clean and Dirty Air
Author(s) -
Carolin Elizabeth George,
Jonathan Salzman,
Leeberk Raja Inbaraj,
Sindhulina Chandrasingh,
Chris Klein,
Lidia Morawska,
David A. Edwards
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
molecular frontiers journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2529-7333
pISSN - 2529-7325
DOI - 10.1142/s2529732520400076
Subject(s) - exhalation , hygiene , airway , respiratory system , pandemic , medicine , covid-19 , environmental health , respiratory illness , intensive care medicine , anesthesia , pathology , infectious disease (medical specialty) , disease
Respiratory illness threatens the learning potential of hundreds of millions of children around the world. We find in a human volunteer study involving three sites and 253 volunteers that respiratory droplets — of the size and nature to potentially contain COVID-19, influenza, allergens and other contaminants — diminish in number on exhalation by up to 99% via the “airway hygiene” administration of a nasal saline rich in calcium. Exhaled particles were significantly higher and efficacy of airway hygiene greatest at the site (Bangalore India) with highest fine particle ambient air burden. We argue for the use of airway hygiene for pandemic and post-pandemic global learning.