Physics & Engineering Physics Colloquium

Faye McNeill, Ph.D., professor of chemical engineering at Columbia University, will present “The Air We Breathe: Airborne Transmission of COVID and Air Quality.”

Since late 2019, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spread globally, causing a pandemic (‘coronavirus disease 2019’ or COVID-19) with dire consequences, including widespread death, long-term illness, and societal and economic disruption. Although initially uncertain, evidence is now overwhelming that SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted primarily through respiratory droplets and aerosols emitted by infected individuals at close to medium range. As a result, many effective nonpharmaceutical interventions for slowing virus transmission operate by blocking, filtering, or diluting respiratory aerosol, particularly in indoor environments. McNeill will discuss the evidence for airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogens, and implications for engineering solutions to reduce transmission risk. McNeill will also discuss the recent efforts of the Columbia Clean Air Toolbox for Cities Initiative toward improving air quality in cities across the Global South.