Numerical Analysis Used to Predict the Spread of COVID-19 in a Classroom: TecNM Campus Sur de Guanajuato Case Study

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of indoor airflow, both natural and forced, on the dispersion and distribution of respiratory droplets produced by the act of sneezing in the context of viral respiratory infections, including but not limited to SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19), Mpox (monkeypox), and other viral diseases. A numerical analysis was performed to examine the potential safety zones and the impact of ceiling fan usage in a classroom at the Tecnológico Nacional de México (TecNM) Campus Sur de Guanajuato, which features two windows and one door. The present study employs a simulation of the sneezes of twenty students and one teacher, with a distance separation of 1.5 m, within a classroom environment characterized by natural ventilation. The study is performed utilizing Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) in conjunction with the Discrete Phase Modelling (DPM) approach to capture the trajectory of particulates. Furthermore, the Navier-Stokes equations are employed to resolve the airflow field within the classroom numerically. The results demonstrate the considerable impact of airflow generated by ceiling fans on the dispersion of particles. The safety zones are situated close to the classroom walls, and the teacher is safeguarded if the ceiling fans are operational and the teacher is upright.