a:1:{s:5:"en_US";s:55:"Mater Dei Hospital, University of Malta Medical School ";}.
Acta Biomed. 2021 May 12;92(2):e2021099. doi: 10.23750/abm.v92i2.11147.
There appears to be a connection between COVID-19 infection and an airborne microscopic pollutant called particulate matter which has been suggested to act as vector for viral transmission. The highest human exposure to particulate matter occurs during smoking and to a lesser extent applies to 2nd hand smoking. This article offers a hypothetical proposition that particulate matter derived from tobacco smoking may act as COVID-19's vector for infection transmission. With a background smoking Chinese male population of more than 66% and more than 70% of Chinese nonsmokers exposed to 2nd hand smoke the potential of exhaled smoke acting as a viral vector is significant. If this hypothesis is proven, measures such as face protection to reduce coronavirus-laden particulate matter transmission, measures of social distancing and legislation to protect nonsmokers from contracting the infection through 2nd hand smoking should be implemented.
看起来，COVID-19 感染与一种称为颗粒物的空气传播微观污染物之间存在联系，颗粒物被认为是病毒传播的载体。人类接触颗粒物最多的情况是在吸烟时，其次是在接触二手烟时。本文提出了一个假设，即源自烟草烟雾的颗粒物可能是 COVID-19 感染传播的载体。中国有超过 66%的男性吸烟，超过 70%的不吸烟的中国人接触二手烟，因此，呼出的烟雾作为病毒载体的可能性很大。如果这一假设得到证实，就应该采取措施，例如通过面部保护减少携带冠状病毒的颗粒物传播，采取社会隔离措施，并通过立法保护不吸烟者免受二手烟感染。
