Research project Perceived virus exposure, actual exposure and judged risk of airborne virus infection

What does it mean to your virus exposure if you move closer from, e.g., 2 m to 1 m from a person with whom you have a conversation and who may transmit a virus? In the open air or indoors with adequate or poor ventilation? What personal factors correlate with accuracy of exposure judgments and with preferences for inter individual distance? What is the effect on virus exposure of different ways of using a face mask? These are some of the problems studied in this project. The first report from the projects was published in 2020 (Svenson et al., 2020).

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV2 virus is likely to be followed by other pandemics also caused by airborne Corona or other viruses. In order to minimize the risk of infection during the present COVID-19 pandemic driven by a predominantly airborne virus, people are recommended to keep interpersonal distance, wash their hands frequently and limit social contacts. To illustrate, in a face to face conversation between two people without masks one of whom is infected with an airborne, e.g.,  Corona virus and the other not, there is an exchange not only of words but also of air and airborne particles including viruses. Virus exposure is the first step towards an infection. 

The ongoing pandemic illustrates the need of expert communication about risks to the public and policy makers for informed decision making about the COVID-19 virus. Lay people develop their own personal mental models about viruses and infections from the information available to them. Therefore, we have to find out about these models and to modify them if they are incorrect and complete them with scientific facts. In the case of face to face distance and risk of virus exposure, a person needs to know what even a slight deviation from, e.g., a recommended distance means for virus exposure and risk of infection. Only with such knowledge can she or he make informed decisions for informed protective behaviors.