Predicting the Decay of SARS-CoV-2 In Airborne Particles Factsheet

The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate performed laboratory studies to estimate the stability of SARS-CoV-2 in airborne particles representative of respiratory particles produced during breathing, talking or coughing. It was determined that environmental conditions, in particular simulated sunlight, greatly affected how long the virus would remain stable in the air. The Probabilistic Analysis for National Threats, Hazards, and Risks (PANTHR) program developed an interactive tool based on these data that allows users to estimate how long SARS-CoV-2 would remain stable in airborne particles across environmental conditions including temperature, relative humidity, and ultraviolet index (sunlight). Users can use the tool to estimate the decay rate for SARS-CoV-2 in airborne particles by selecting temperature, relative humidity, and ultraviolet index information to match a location of interest. This tool can help users better understand the effect of environmental conditions on airborne particles containing SARS-CoV-2.