Caroline Westphalen1, Stefan Kniesburges2, Reinhard Veltrup2, Sophia Gantner1, Gregor Peters2, Tobias Benthaus3, Bernhard Jakubaß2, Marie Köberlein1, Michael Döllinger2, Matthias Echternach4. 1. Division of Phoniatrics and Pediatric Audiology, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Bavaria, Germany. 2. Division of Phoniatrics and Pediatric Audiology, Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery, University Hospital Erlangen, Medical School, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Bavaria, Germany. 3. Institute and Clinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Bavaria, Germany. 4. Division of Phoniatrics and Pediatric Audiology, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Bavaria, Germany. Electronic address: Matthias.echternach@med.uni-muenchen.de.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: With respect to the Covid-19 pandemic, singing is assumed to be associated with a high potential person-to-person transmission. However, it remains unclear how the impulse dispersion varies with different types of articulation, intensity levels of diction, or body position. Furthermore, it has not been understood in detail how to prevent aerosol dispersion during singing. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Single professional singers from the Bavarian Radio Chorus were asked to sing in different head positions, with different articulation patterns and different masks after inhaling the basic liquid of an e-cigarette. The vapor cloud was segmented and tracked over time. RESULTS: Consonants and exaggeration of diction enhanced the distance reached by the impulse dispersion. Furthermore, the greatest dispersion was reached for a neutral head position. All protection masks stopped the initial jet of the aerosols but the FFP2 masks were the most effective. CONCLUSION: Some protection equipment has been identified to be promising in reducing aerosol dispersion. However, systematic effects have to be evaluated in greater collectives.
INTRODUCTION: With respect to the Covid-19 pandemic, singing is assumed to be associated with a high potential person-to-person transmission. However, it remains unclear how the impulse dispersion varies with different types of articulation, intensity levels of diction, or body position. Furthermore, it has not been understood in detail how to prevent aerosol dispersion during singing. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Single professional singers from the Bavarian Radio Chorus were asked to sing in different head positions, with different articulation patterns and different masks after inhaling the basic liquid of an e-cigarette. The vapor cloud was segmented and tracked over time. RESULTS: Consonants and exaggeration of diction enhanced the distance reached by the impulse dispersion. Furthermore, the greatest dispersion was reached for a neutral head position. All protection masks stopped the initial jet of the aerosols but the FFP2 masks were the most effective. CONCLUSION: Some protection equipment has been identified to be promising in reducing aerosol dispersion. However, systematic effects have to be evaluated in greater collectives.
Authors: Stefan Kniesburges; Patrick Schlegel; Gregor Peters; Caroline Westphalen; Bernhard Jakubaß; Reinhard Veltrup; Andreas M Kist; Michael Döllinger; Sophia Gantner; Liudmila Kuranova; Tobias Benthaus; Marion Semmler; Matthias Echternach Journal: J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol Date: 2021-10-05 Impact factor: 6.371
Authors: Anne Berghöfer; Gabriele Rotter; Joachim Pankert; Katja Icke; Stephanie Roll; Ryan King; Stefan N Willich Journal: Eur J Epidemiol Date: 2022-09-29 Impact factor: 12.434