Listen to the article
Study Reveals Key Factors in Preventing Flu Transmission as Hospitalizations Reach Record Highs
As an aggressive new strain of influenza spreads across the United States, leading to record-high hospitalizations and reportedly intense symptoms, researchers have identified several simple factors that can significantly reduce transmission rates.
A groundbreaking clinical trial conducted by the University of Maryland Schools of Public Health and Engineering in College Park and the School of Medicine in Baltimore has provided new insights into how the flu spreads from naturally infected individuals to healthy people.
Published in the journal PLOS Pathogens, the study placed flu-positive college students in a hotel room with healthy middle-aged adult volunteers to observe transmission patterns under controlled conditions. Eleven healthy volunteers lived on a quarantined floor of a Baltimore-area hotel for two weeks, where they simulated everyday interactions with infected individuals, including conversations, physical activities like yoga, and the sharing of objects such as pens and tablets.
Throughout the experiment, researchers closely monitored participants’ symptoms, performed daily nasal swabs, and collected saliva and blood samples to test for antibodies. They also measured viral exposure in the volunteers’ breathing air and ambient air in the activity room using a specialized machine called the Gesundheit II, which was invented by researcher Dr. Donald Milton and colleagues at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Surprisingly, none of the healthy individuals contracted the flu during the study period. Researchers attributed this outcome to several key factors, with the absence of coughing being particularly significant.
“Our data suggests key things that increase the likelihood of flu transmission — coughing is a major one,” explained Dr. Jianyu Lai, post-doctoral research scientist and the study’s lead data analyst. The infected students were “holding a lot of virus in their noses,” but only small amounts were “expelled into the air” due to minimal coughing.
Another crucial factor was proper ventilation. According to Dr. Lai, the air in the study room was “continually mixed rapidly by a heater and dehumidifier, and so the small amounts of virus in the air were diluted.” Additionally, the researchers noted that middle-aged adults are typically less susceptible to influenza than younger adults, which may have contributed to the lack of transmission.
Dr. Donald Milton, a professor at the Department of Global, Environmental and Occupational Health and a global infectious disease aerobiology expert, expressed surprise at the findings. “At this time of year, it seems like everyone is catching the flu virus, and yet our study showed no transmission,” he said. “What does this say about how flu spreads and how to stop outbreaks?”
Milton, who was among the first experts to identify methods to stop COVID-19 spread, emphasized that findings from these types of trials are essential for updating international infection-control guidelines. He highlighted specific risk factors based on the study’s results.
“Being up close, face-to-face with other people indoors where the air isn’t moving much, seems to be the most risky thing — and it’s something we all tend to do a lot,” Milton noted. He suggested that “portable air purifiers that stir up the air, as well as clean it, could be a big help,” while adding that “if you are really close and someone is coughing, the best way to stay safe is to wear a mask, especially the N95.”
The research comes at a critical time, as the current 2025-2026 influenza season has already resulted in approximately 11 million flu illnesses and about 5,000 deaths nationwide, according to CDC data. A large proportion of current cases are attributed to the new influenza A subclade K variant, which has been linked to more severe symptoms in many patients.
With 81,000 flu-related hospitalizations recorded so far this year, health officials continue to emphasize the importance of preventive measures, including proper ventilation, mask-wearing in high-risk situations, and limiting close contact with symptomatic individuals.
Fact Checker
Verify the accuracy of this article using The Disinformation Commission analysis and real-time sources.
14 Comments
Fascinating study on flu transmission. Proper ventilation, distancing, and hygiene seem crucial to limiting spread, even in close contact. Curious to see if similar dynamics apply to other respiratory illnesses like COVID-19.
Yes, understanding how respiratory viruses spread is so important, especially with winter coming. Glad to see researchers exploring these real-world transmission factors.
This is really insightful. Identifying the key factors that reduce flu transmission, even in close quarters, could have big implications for public health policies and preparedness. Kudos to the researchers for this innovative study design.
Agreed, this kind of practical, applied research is so valuable. Hopefully the findings can help inform smarter, more targeted approaches to managing seasonal flu outbreaks.
This is a really clever study design, using a hotel setting to simulate real-world interactions. Glad to see researchers exploring transmission dynamics beyond just lab conditions. The findings on ventilation and hygiene are quite encouraging.
Agreed, the hotel setting adds a lot of realism that’s often missing from clinical trials. Kudos to the team for developing a protocol that captures the complexities of everyday life and interactions.
Great to see researchers exploring real-world flu transmission dynamics in such an innovative way. The findings on ventilation, distancing, and hygiene practices are really encouraging and could have big implications for public health preparedness. Kudos to the team!
Absolutely, this kind of applied, practical research is so valuable. Understanding the key factors that can limit respiratory virus transmission, even in close-contact settings, is crucial for developing smarter, more targeted mitigation strategies.
Quite impressive that the healthy volunteers showed no infection, even with close, prolonged contact with flu patients. Speaks to the power of simple, low-cost interventions like proper ventilation and hygiene. Curious to see if the same dynamics apply to COVID-19 as well.
Yes, this study provides an important proof-of-concept for targeted non-pharmaceutical interventions. Layered approaches that address multiple transmission routes seem crucial, especially when vaccines and treatments are limited.
Wow, no infections despite close contact with flu patients? That’s a pretty remarkable result. Speaks to the power of good ventilation, distancing, and hygiene practices. Curious to see if the same holds true for COVID-19 as well.
Yes, it will be interesting to see if the same transmission dynamics apply across different respiratory viruses. This study provides an important proof-of-concept for targeted interventions.
Interesting that simple, low-cost interventions like ventilation and hygiene were so effective at preventing flu transmission, even in a hotel setting. Speaks to the value of good public health practices, beyond just vaccines and antivirals.
Absolutely. Layered mitigation strategies that address multiple transmission routes are key, especially when vaccines and treatments aren’t readily available. This study highlights some practical, low-barrier options.