FEWER plastic barriers in public vehicles cuts the risk of Covid19 transmission, a study of the Ateneo de Manila University showed.

Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato de la Peña said the six-month study funded by the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development aimed to identify significant risks of disease transmission among passengers in buses, the Light Rail Transit and the Metro Rail Transit.

Led by Dr. Joel Maquiling, the study titled “Modeling Embarkation-Disembarkation Behavior and Configuration Settings in Philippine Commuter Buses, Light Rail Transit, and Metro Rail Transit using Theoretical and Computational Fluid Dynamics as Analytical Tools in the Mitigation of SARS-CoV-2 Airborne Transmission,” was conducted from May to October 2021.

It also sought to analyze the risks in public transport through the 3D-simulations using a commuter bus, LRT-2 and MRT configurations.

“Results of the study show that the number of barriers and their arrangement greatly affect the airflow within these vehicles. Barriers can be the seats with backrests, acetate or plastic barriers, and face shields, among others,” De La Peña said.

“Accordingly, current LRT and MRT configurations, where seats are arranged at the sides and passengers face each other, are found to cause better airflow within the vehicle compared to the current commuter bus setup. This arrangement also reduces the number of seats and limits the maximum passenger capacity,” he added.

Aside from barriers, additional inlets or outlets in the vehicles configured in an alternating open-closed-open manner will enhance the airflow and flush out any agents of infectious disease, like SARS-CoV-2 which causes Covid19.

The project team also highlighted the importance of wearing face masks that perfectly fit the face.

“The results of the ADMU study could be utilized by the concerned government agencies and policymakers in designing and implementing policies and guidelines, and guide transportation engineers in reconfiguring vehicles,” the DOST chief pointed out.

“The data generated from the study may also be utilized by medical or health-related businesses in designing, fabricating and implementing appropriate personal protective equipment for commuters,” he said.