Zuo Yi Y, Uspal William E, Wei Tao
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, United States.
Department of Pediatrics, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii 96826, United States.
ACS Nano. 2020 Dec 22;14(12):16502-16524. doi: 10.1021/acsnano.0c08484. Epub 2020 Nov 25.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), due to infection by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is now causing a global pandemic. Aerosol transmission of COVID-19, although plausible, has not been confirmed by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a general transmission route. Considering the rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2, especially nosocomial outbreaks and other superspreading events, there is an urgent need to study the possibility of airborne transmission and its impact on the lung, the primary body organ attacked by the virus. Here, we review the complete pathway of airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from aerosol dispersion in air to subsequent biological uptake after inhalation. In particular, we first review the aerodynamic and colloidal mechanisms by which aerosols disperse and transmit in air and deposit onto surfaces. We then review the fundamental mechanisms that govern regional deposition of micro- and nanoparticles in the lung. Focus is given to biophysical interactions between particles and the pulmonary surfactant film, the initial alveolar-capillary barrier and first-line host defense system against inhaled particles and pathogens. Finally, we summarize the current understanding about the structural dynamics of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and its interactions with receptors at the atomistic and molecular scales, primarily as revealed by molecular dynamics simulations. This review provides urgent and multidisciplinary knowledge toward understanding the airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and its health impact on the respiratory system.
2019冠状病毒病（COVID-19）由严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2（SARS-CoV-2）感染引起，目前正在全球大流行。COVID-19的气溶胶传播虽有可能，但世界卫生组织（WHO）尚未将其确认为一般传播途径。鉴于SARS-CoV-2的迅速传播，尤其是医院内的暴发和其他超级传播事件，迫切需要研究空气传播的可能性及其对肺部的影响，肺部是该病毒攻击的主要身体器官。在此，我们回顾了SARS-CoV-2从空气中的气溶胶扩散到吸入后随后的生物摄取的空气传播完整途径。特别是，我们首先回顾气溶胶在空气中分散、传播并沉积在表面的空气动力学和胶体机制。然后，我们回顾控制微米和纳米颗粒在肺部区域沉积的基本机制。重点关注颗粒与肺表面活性物质膜之间的生物物理相互作用、初始肺泡-毛细血管屏障以及针对吸入颗粒和病原体的一线宿主防御系统。最后，我们总结了目前对SARS-CoV-2刺突蛋白结构动力学及其在原子和分子尺度上与受体相互作用的理解，这主要是通过分子动力学模拟揭示的。这篇综述为理解SARS-CoV-2的空气传播及其对呼吸系统的健康影响提供了迫切且多学科的知识。
