What Happens to Viral Particles on the Subway Many New Yorkers are avoiding the subway, fearful of jostling with strangers in crowded cars. Continuous air flow through these vents helps limit viral particles from building up inside a car and infecting people as they inhale. But the filters do not catch everything — and some viral particles could slip past and get dispersed into trains. This would prevent any viral particles a sick rider exhales from being recirculated through the ventilation system. Even when riders are wearing masks, it is possible for a passenger to inhale the viral particles exhaled by a sick passenger if they are standing shoulder-to-shoulder.

Source: New York Times August 10, 2020 04:28 UTC