Japanese supercomputer Fugaku shows how humidity affects aerosol spread of COVID-19

A Japanese computer has shed light on the spread of coronavirus and the role played by local conditions.

According tot he supercomputer, humidity can have a huge impact on the spread of COVID-19, and can potentially cause particles of virus to spread. This is owing to the dry conditions indoors during winter.

The findings add that humidifiers may assist in limiting the rate of infections during winter, when window ventilation is not viable. The study was released by Riken, a research giant, in collaboration with Kobe University.

Using the Fugaku supercomputer, the researchers modelled the emission and potential flow of COVID-19 like particles in indoor environments.

The researchers discovered that twice as much as aerosolised particles were released when the air humidity was lower than 30 per cent, when compared to humidity levels of 60 per cent and higher.

Additionally, the study added that masks are more effective than face shields when it comes to protecting oneself from COVID-19 aerosols.

The supercomputer also found that while dining, people are at more risk of contracting COVID-19 from others on the side, not to their front. It also added that the number of singers in choruses should be limited.

The scientific community is increasingly accepting that the virus can spread through air. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revised its guidelines earlier this month, claiming the pathogen can linger in the air for hours.

The research team for Riken was spearheaded by Makoto Tsubokura. The same team has led other studies which modelled spread of COVID-19 in work spaces, trains, and class rooms.

The computer simulations showed that opening windows on trains can help improve ventilation by three times, which in turn lowers the concentration of ambient microbes.

"People's blind fear or unfounded confidence against the infection of COVID-19 is simply because it is invisible," Tsubokura told Reuters.