Duality between Coronavirus Transmission and Air-based Macroscopic Molecular Communication

TL;DR

This paper models airborne coronavirus transmission as a macroscopic molecular communication system, using experiments with fluorescent aerosols and simulations to analyze infection spread and the impact of masks.

Contribution

It introduces a novel duality framework linking viral transmission to molecular communication, supported by experimental validation and an extended simulation tool.

Findings

Higher particle counts without masks compared to with masks

Simulation estimates of aerosol transmission in various environments

Experimental validation of aerosol dispersion patterns

Abstract

This contribution exploits the duality between a viral infection process and macroscopic air-based molecular communication. Airborne aerosol and droplet transmission through human respiratory processes is modeled as an instance of a multiuser molecular communication scenario employing respiratory-event-driven molecular variable-concentration shift keying. Modeling is aided by experiments that are motivated by a macroscopic air-based molecular communication testbed. In artificially induced coughs, a saturated aqueous solution containing a fluorescent dye mixed with saliva is released by an adult test person. The emitted particles are made visible by means of optical detection exploiting the fluorescent dye. The number of particles recorded is significantly higher in test series without mouth and nose protection than in those with a wellfitting medical mask. A simulation tool for macroscopic molecular communication processes is extended and used for estimating the transmission of infectious aerosols in different environments. Towards this goal, parameters obtained through self experiments are taken. The work is inspired by the recent outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.