Dining at a table for 4 is more susceptible to infection than sitting opposite, SARS-CoV-2 may cause sudden hearing loss

News (1) 

Japanese simulation: Dining at a table for 4 people is more susceptible to infection than sitting opposite

Editor : Lu Yongxin / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2020/10/15/a102963589.html / Direct translation

Image : The Japanese Research Institute team used the supercomputer "Fuyake" to simulate epidemic prevention measures and found that when dining at a table for four in a restaurant, the place with the highest risk of infection is next to the infected person. (Video screenshot)

The team from the Institute of Physics and Chemistry of Japan used the new generation of Japanese supercomputer "Fuyake" to simulate the covid prevention countermeasures and found that the conversation was about 1 minute at a table of 4 people. Under the circumstances, the place with the highest risk of infection is not sitting directly opposite the infected person, but next to the infected person.

Japanese media reported that the team used "Fuyake" to calculate the risk of covid infection in various situations.

"Fuyue" simulates when sitting at the same table in a restaurant and talking for about 1 minute, the person sitting next to the infected person will be exposed to about 5 times more droplets than the person sitting opposite, which is the highest risk of infection s position. Therefore, it is very important to set up partitions and ventilation and other epidemic prevention measures.

In simulating the risk of infection in a multi-person chorus such as a concert, it is found that singing will produce several times more droplets than talking. If multiple people sing in the same direction at the same time, forward airflow will be generated, and the droplets will be spread farther, and the person standing in the front row is at a high risk of being infected. In this situation, wearing a mask that covers the mouth or reducing the number of people can reduce the risk of infection.

The Japan Broadcasting Association (NHK) also reported that according to different humidity environments, "Fuyake" simulates the amount of droplets exposed to people seated 1.8 meters away in an office and found that the humidity of 90% is compared with the humidity of 30%. In a dry environment with a humidity of 30% or less, droplets are prone to spread in a mist-like manner, and the amount of droplets that are exposed to is three times that of contact with a humidity of 90%. In other words, increasing humidity in the room will help prevent epidemics.

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News (2)

British study: SARS-CoV-2 may cause sudden hearing loss in patients

Publisher : China News Network / http://news.sciencenet.cn/htmlnews/2020/10/446923.shtm / Translation, editing : Gan Yung Chyan / KUCINTA SETIA

 A few days ago, the University College London team published a report in the "British Medical Journal Case Report" stating that a man had hearing loss in his left ear after being infected with SARS-CoV-2. This is the first such case in the UK. Experts said that the new case shows that the virus may cause sudden hearing loss, and call on doctors to pay attention to the patient's condition as soon as possible and conduct treatment.

According to reports, the report stated that the 45-year-old man suffered from asthma and was admitted to the intensive care unit after he was hospitalized with covid. He had taken Remdesivir and steroids.

About a week after being transferred out of the intensive care unit, the man continued to experience tinnitus in his left ear and soon suffered hearing loss. The research team said that any drugs the man took would not cause damage to his hearing, and his ear canal and eardrum were normal. Further investigation revealed that he had no signs of autoimmune disease and had never had hearing problems before.

According to the report, subsequent tests showed that the man’s left ear had "sensory neurological deafness" usually caused by a virus. However, his condition improved after receiving steroid treatment for a period of time.

The research team stated that doctors should ask about the hearing loss of covid patients in intensive care. If the patient has hearing loss, they should be referred for emergency treatment. The co-author of the study, Dr. Kunpa, said, “If not treated in time, even unilateral hearing loss will have a serious impact on a person’s quality of life.”