Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what research they have commissioned to determine the potential risks to patients and healthcare workers of (1) short-range, and (2) long-range, aerosol transmission of COVID-19 in health and care premises.

The National Institute for Health Research and UK Research and Innovation have jointly commissioned research studies to determine the potential risk to patients and staff from aerosol transmission of COVID-19 and investigate how to mitigate those risks. This includes funding of £433,000 to the AERATOR study at the University of Bristol to investigate aerosolization of COVID-19 and transmission risk at short range from medical procedures.

Additionally, Public Health England have been awarded £337,000 to investigate environmental and airborne transmission routes of COVID-19 including in healthcare settings.