Experimental Measurements Of Far Field Cough Airflows Produced By Healthy And Influenza-Infected Subjects

An experimental study of cough airflow fields produced by subjects who had influenza-like illness was conducted. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) and hot wire anemometry (HWA) measurements were taken in the far-field downstream of the mouth of a participant. Droplet sampling was performed at two locations within a large cough chamber, and a nasal swab confirmed the presence of an infection. The present work analyzes data from two separate cohorts, and modest differences were observed between coughs from sick and convalescent participants. The results are also compared to data obtained from a large eddy simulation (LES) which seeks to model the transient behaviour of a human cough.