Frequently Asked Questions about Laboratory Biosafety and SARS-CoV-2

Aerosols and droplets containing particles that are <100 μm in diameter are not visible to the naked eye. Laboratory workers may not be aware that such particles can be generated during many laboratory procedures and that these particles could be inhaled or could cross-contaminate work surfaces, materials, and equipment.

Infectious aerosols are small liquid or solid particles suspended in the air that contain infectious agents. They can disperse throughout the laboratory and remain infective over time and distance. These particles are of a size that may be inhaled into the lower respiratory tract (<5 μm in diameter). Examples of organisms transmitted by aerosols include spores of Aspergillus spp., Mycobacterium tuberculosis, rubeola virus (measles), and varicella-zoster virus (chickenpox).

Droplets traditionally are defined as larger infectious particles (>5 μm in diameter) that rapidly fall out of the air, contaminating gloves, the immediate work area, and the mucous membranes of the persons performing the procedure.

Examples of infectious agents that are transmitted via the droplet route include Bordetella pertussis, influenza viruses, adenovirus, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, SARS-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV), group A streptococcus, and Neisseria meningitidis.

For additional information, refer to the following:

Read the original article at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)