Modeling disease transmission in a train carriage using a simple 1D-model

Understanding airborne infectious disease transmission on public transport is essential to reducing the risk of infection of passengers and crew members. We propose a new one-dimensional (1D) model that predicts the longitudinal dispersion of airborne contaminants and the risk of disease transmission inside a railway carriage. We compare the results of this 1D-model to the predictions of a model that assumes the carriage is fully mixed. The 1D-model is validated using measurements of controlled carbon-dioxide experiments conducted in a full-scale railway carriage. We use our results to provide novel insights into the impact of various strategies to reduce the risk of airborne transmission on public transport.

Automated summary

Understanding airborne disease transmission on public transport is crucial in reducing the risk of infection. A new model is proposed to predict the dispersion of airborne contaminants and the risk of disease transmission inside a railway carriage, and its results are compared to other models. By validating the model using controlled carbon dioxide experiments in a real railway carriage, novel insights into strategies to reduce airborne transmission risk in public transport are provided.