It clearly showed keeping CO2 levels in check helps to reduce virus survival, and therefore the risk of infection. During the COVID-19 pandemic carbon dioxidemonitors were used to help estimate ventilation in buildings, as both CO2 and the virus are present in exhaled breath. But this research has uncovered how CO2 itself actually makes the virus survive longer in the air. The researchers also found that different SARS-CoV-2 variants had different aerostabilities, with the latest ‘Omicron’ variant having an extended lifespan.
The research also highlights the importance of our global net zero goals because the research indicates even slightly raised levels of CO2, which are increasing in the atmosphere with the onset of climate change, can significantly improve the rate of virus survival and the risk of it spreading.
Read the full University of Bristol news story
‘Ambient carbon dioxide concentration correlates with SARS-CoV-2 aerostability and infection risk’ by Allen Haddrell, Jonathan P. Reid et al. in Nature Communications