How human thermal plume influences near-human transport of respiratory droplets and airborne particles: a review

With mounting evidence and notable cases of large clustered infections, airborne transmission via droplets and particles has been recently acknowledged as an effective mode of transmission for COVID-19. How droplets and aerosol particles disperse are being transported into the human breathing zone—the last few inches for airborne transmission to effectuate—remains a key question which has been widely overlooked. Human thermal plume refers to the constantly rising airflows around the boundary layer of human body due to persisting temperature gradients between the body surfaces and the ambient air. Ample evidence indicated that the thermal plume controls the dispersion and transport of aerosols in the human microenvironment. Given that in calm indoor environments most air inhaled by human comes from the boundary layer where thermal plume flows through constantly, the role of thermal plume needs to be scrutinized to predict the diffusion of droplets, aerosols and other airborne carriers of the novel coronavirus around the human body for prioritizing infection control strategies. Here, we assessed the potential influences of the thermal plume on the transmission of COVID-19 and other airborne pathogens by reviewing the most pertinent evidence and analyzing key variables in the formation of thermal plume in indoor environments, e.g., ambient temperature, human posture and type of clothing. Our reviewed evidence and data indicate that the human thermal plume should facilitate the airborne transmission of COVID-19 in enclosed spaces by elevating small droplets and airborne particles into the breathing zone from lower regions and ascending respiratory droplets from the sources into the upper atmosphere. By drawing attention to aerosol transport dynamics in the human microenvironment, these insights may be useful for understanding COVID-19 transmission in enclosed spaces, especially those intended for public use.