Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has
spread worldwide with its different variants. The transmission
efficiency of the new variants is much higher than the existing ones.
Therefore, developing new preventive measures based on the transmission
routes of the virus is needed to limit the spread. The possible
transmission routes include direct contact with surfaces contaminated
with droplets secreted by patients and airborne viral transmission from
person to person. Thermal inactivation is a preventive measure that
applies high temperature to objects or fluids, as has been reported
previously. However, inactivation data of aerosolized SARS-CoV-2 exposed
to heat for a short time at high temperatures are not in the literature
yet. We evaluated the inactivation of the aerosolized virus while
passing through an electric heater. The virus inactivation test
experiments were conducted at two temperatures of the heater’s outlet
air, 150±5oC, and 220±5 oC, at an air flow rate of 0.6 m3/h (10 L/min)
and heat exposure time of 1.44 s. The loss in viability of the virus at
150 oC and 220 oC was measured as 99.900% and 99.999%, respectively.
The results indicate that the high-temperature inactivation of
SARS-CoV-2 may potentially reduce aerosolized viral indoors.