A national study of primates and humans with COVID published in the National Academy of Sciences makes a number of shocking discoveries, including data showing only a fifth of individuals are responsible for 80 percent of viral transmission.
The study tracked the expiration of virally loaded aerosols from humans and primates and Tulane National Primate Research Center Director of Infectious Disease Aerobiology Chad Roy said they discovered that much like other airborne infectious diseases such as tuberculosis COVID weakens airway mucus allowing viral particles to move more freely out of the body.
“The virus is physiologically rigging the respiratory system to produce these aerosols in greater numbers and it kind of gets to the underpinnings of transmission potential,” said Roy.