The study, published in Anaesthesia (a journal of the Association of Anaesthetists) today [30 March], set out to examine whether oxygen therapies used for patients with severe COVID-19 produce large amounts of small respiratory particles called aerosols, which can transmit virus and can evade routine precautions used on hospital wards. The study found these oxygen therapies do not produce excessive amounts of aerosols and in fact reduce aerosols suggesting these therapies can be made widely available.

The study also showed that respiratory activities such as coughing and deep breathing are a major source of aerosol particles, and this has the potential to expose healthcare workers to an increased risk of infection. Importantly, the authors make clear that this study used 10 healthy volunteers to produce the aerosols measured, not patients infected with SARS-CoV-2.

Read the full University of Bristol press release