Droplet nuclei are
aerosols formed from the evaporation of
respiratory droplet
A respiratory droplet is a small aqueous droplet produced by exhalation, consisting of saliva or mucus and other matter derived from respiratory tract surfaces. Respiratory droplets are produced naturally as a result of breathing, speaking, snee ...
s.
They are generally smaller than 5
μm in diameter. Droplet nuclei are formed by the "dried residua of larger respiratory droplets".
These particles are "the vehicle for
airborne respiratory disease transmission, which are the dried-out residual of droplets possibly containing infectious pathogens".
Diseases such as
tuberculous and
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...
can be transmitted via droplet nuclei.
See also
*
Basic reproduction number
In epidemiology, the basic reproduction number, or basic reproductive number (sometimes called basic reproduction ratio or basic reproductive rate), denoted R_0 (pronounced ''R nought'' or ''R zero''), of an infection is the expected number of ...
References
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Disease transmission
Particulates