IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/riskan/v34y2014i5p818-830.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Effects of Surface Material, Ventilation, and Human Behavior on Indirect Contact Transmission Risk of Respiratory Infection

Author

Listed:
  • Gin Nam Sze‐To
  • Yang Yang
  • Joseph K. C. Kwan
  • Samuel C. T. Yu
  • Christopher Y. H. Chao

Abstract

Infectious particles can be deposited on surfaces. Susceptible persons who contacted these contaminated surfaces may transfer the pathogens to their mucous membranes via hands, leading to a risk of respiratory infection. The exposure and infection risk contributed by this transmission route depend on indoor surface material, ventilation, and human behavior. In this study, quantitative infection risk assessments were used to compare the significances of these factors. The risks of three pathogens, influenza A virus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and rhinovirus, in an aircraft cabin and in a hospital ward were assessed. Results showed that reducing the contact rate is relatively more effective than increasing the ventilation rate to lower the infection risk. Nonfabric surface materials were found to be much more favorable in the indirect contact transmission for RSV and rhinovirus than fabric surface materials. In the cases considered in this study, halving the ventilation rate and doubling the hand contact rate to surfaces and the hand contact rate to mucous membranes would increase the risk by 3.7–16.2%, 34.4–94.2%, and 24.1–117.7%, respectively. Contacting contaminated nonfabric surfaces may pose an indirect contact risk up to three orders of magnitude higher than that of contacting contaminated fabric surfaces. These findings provide more consideration for infection control and building environmental design.

Suggested Citation

  • Gin Nam Sze‐To & Yang Yang & Joseph K. C. Kwan & Samuel C. T. Yu & Christopher Y. H. Chao, 2014. "Effects of Surface Material, Ventilation, and Human Behavior on Indirect Contact Transmission Risk of Respiratory Infection," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 34(5), pages 818-830, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:wly:riskan:v:34:y:2014:i:5:p:818-830
    DOI: 10.1111/risa.12144
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/risa.12144
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/risa.12144?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mark Nicas & Rachael M. Jones, 2009. "Relative Contributions of Four Exposure Pathways to Influenza Infection Risk," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(9), pages 1292-1303, September.
    2. Mark Nicas & Gang Sun, 2006. "An Integrated Model of Infection Risk in a Health‐Care Environment," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 26(4), pages 1085-1096, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Nan Zhang & Yuguo Li, 2018. "Transmission of Influenza A in a Student Office Based on Realistic Person-to-Person Contact and Surface Touch Behaviour," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-20, August.
    2. Rachael M. Jones & Yulin Xia, 2018. "Annual Burden of Occupationally‐Acquired Influenza Infections in Hospitals and Emergency Departments in the United States," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 38(3), pages 442-453, March.
    3. Rachael M. Jones & Elodie Adida, 2011. "Influenza Infection Risk and Predominate Exposure Route: Uncertainty Analysis," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(10), pages 1622-1631, October.
    4. Siming You & Man Pun Wan, 2015. "A Risk Assessment Scheme of Infection Transmission Indoors Incorporating the Impact of Resuspension," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 35(8), pages 1488-1502, August.
    5. Edward M. Fisher & John D. Noti & William G. Lindsley & Francoise M. Blachere & Ronald E. Shaffer, 2014. "Validation and Application of Models to Predict Facemask Influenza Contamination in Healthcare Settings," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 34(8), pages 1423-1434, August.
    6. Domhnall Melly & Emmet McLoughlin & Kelly Maguire, 2023. "Emerging Venue Considerations for Event Management: The Case of Ireland," Tourism and Hospitality, MDPI, vol. 4(1), pages 1-15, March.
    7. Christos Nicolaides & Demetris Avraam & Luis Cueto‐Felgueroso & Marta C. González & Ruben Juanes, 2020. "Hand‐Hygiene Mitigation Strategies Against Global Disease Spreading through the Air Transportation Network," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 40(4), pages 723-740, April.
    8. Yuke Wang & Christine L. Moe & Peter F. M. Teunis, 2018. "Children Are Exposed to Fecal Contamination via Multiple Interconnected Pathways: A Network Model for Exposure Assessment," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 38(11), pages 2478-2496, November.
    9. Mark Nicas & Rachael M. Jones, 2009. "Relative Contributions of Four Exposure Pathways to Influenza Infection Risk," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(9), pages 1292-1303, September.
    10. Timothy R. Julian & Robert A. Canales & James O. Leckie & Alexandria B. Boehm, 2009. "A Model of Exposure to Rotavirus from Nondietary Ingestion Iterated by Simulated Intermittent Contacts," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(5), pages 617-632, May.
    11. Nicole C. J. Brienen & Aura Timen & Jacco Wallinga & Jim E. Van Steenbergen & Peter F. M. Teunis, 2010. "The Effect of Mask Use on the Spread of Influenza During a Pandemic," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 30(8), pages 1210-1218, August.
    12. Lawrence M. Wein & Michael P. Atkinson, 2009. "Assessing Infection Control Measures for Pandemic Influenza," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(7), pages 949-962, July.
    13. Alexandre Chabrelie & Jade Mitchell & Joan Rose & Duane Charbonneau & Yoshiki Ishida, 2018. "Evaluation of the Influenza Risk Reduction from Antimicrobial Spray Application on Porous Surfaces," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 38(7), pages 1502-1517, July.
    14. Baloch, Gohram & Gzara, Fatma & Elhedhli, Samir, 2023. "Risk-based allocation of COVID-19 personal protective equipment under supply shortages," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 310(3), pages 1085-1100.
    15. Rachael M. Jones, 2011. "Critical Review and Uncertainty Analysis of Factors Influencing Influenza Transmission," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(8), pages 1226-1242, August.
    16. Umesh Adhikari & Alexandre Chabrelie & Mark Weir & Kevin Boehnke & Erica McKenzie & Luisa Ikner & Meng Wang & Qing Wang & Kyana Young & Charles N. Haas & Joan Rose & Jade Mitchell, 2019. "A Case Study Evaluating the Risk of Infection from Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS‐CoV) in a Hospital Setting Through Bioaerosols," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 39(12), pages 2608-2624, December.
    17. Behrouz Pirouz & Stefania Anna Palermo & Seyed Navid Naghib & Domenico Mazzeo & Michele Turco & Patrizia Piro, 2021. "The Role of HVAC Design and Windows on the Indoor Airflow Pattern and ACH," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-31, July.
    18. Qi Zhen & Anxiao Zhang & Qiong Huang & Jing Li & Yiming Du & Qi Zhang, 2022. "Overview of the Role of Spatial Factors in Indoor SARS-CoV-2 Transmission: A Space-Based Framework for Assessing the Multi-Route Infection Risk," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(17), pages 1-38, September.
    19. Rachael M. Jones & Elodie Adida, 2013. "Selecting Nonpharmaceutical Interventions for Influenza," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 33(8), pages 1473-1488, August.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wly:riskan:v:34:y:2014:i:5:p:818-830. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://doi.org/10.1111/(ISSN)1539-6924 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.