The potential airborne transmission of COVID-19 has raised significant concerns regarding the safety of musical activities involving wind instruments. However, currently, there is a lack of systematic study and quantitative information of the aerosol generation during these instruments, which is crucial for offering risk assessment and the corresponding mitigation strategies for the reopening of these activities. Collaborating with 15 musicians from the Minnesota Orchestra, we conduct a systematic study of the aerosol generation from a large variety of wind instruments under different music dynamic levels and articulation patterns. We find that the aerosol concentration from different brass and woodwinds exhibits two orders of magnitude variation. Accordingly, we categorize the instruments into low (tuba), intermediate (bassoon, piccolo, flute, bass clarinet, French horn, and clarinet) and high risk (trumpet, bass trombone, and oboe) levels based on a comparison of their aerosol generation with those from normal breathing and speaking. In addition, we observe that the aerosol generation can be affected by the changing dynamic level, articulation pattern, the normal respiratory behaviors of individuals, and even the usage of some special techniques during the instrument play. However, such effects vary substantially for different types of instrument, depending on specific breathing techniques as well as the tube structure and inlet design of the instrument. Overall, our findings can bring insights into the risk assessment of airborne decrease transmission and the corresponding mitigation strategies for various musical activities involving wind instrument plays, including orchestras, community and worship bands, music classes, etc.

中文翻译：

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不同管乐器产生气溶胶


COVID-19 潜在的空气传播引起了人们对涉及管乐器的音乐活动安全性的严重担忧。然而，目前缺乏对这些仪器期间气溶胶产生的系统研究和定量信息，这对于为重新开放这些活动提供风险评估和相应的缓解策略至关重要。我们与明尼苏达交响乐团的 15 名音乐家合作，对各种管乐器在不同音乐动态水平和发音模式下产生的气溶胶进行了系统研究。我们发现不同铜管乐器和木管乐器的气溶胶浓度表现出两个数量级的变化。因此，我们根据气溶胶产生的比较，将乐器分为低风险（大号）、中风险（巴松管、短笛、长笛、低音单簧管、圆号和单簧管）和高风险（小号、低音长号和双簧管）级别与正常呼吸和说话的人。此外，我们观察到气溶胶的产生会受到动态水平变化、发音模式、个体正常呼吸行为，甚至乐器演奏过程中某些特殊技术的使用的影响。然而，对于不同类型的仪器，这种效果有很大差异，具体取决于特定的呼吸技术以及仪器的管道结构和入口设计。总体而言，我们的研究结果可以为空气传播减少的风险评估以及涉及管乐器演奏的各种音乐活动（包括管弦乐队、社区和礼拜乐队、音乐课程等）的相应缓解策略提供见解。