Source Profiling of Biohazardous Aerosols in Hospitals

Inclusion criteria

• Adult patients (>18 years old) that can give valid consent
• URTI: with symptoms such as coryza, sore throat, nasal discharge, cough and sputum +/- fever. Amongst these, cough should be a major complaint.
• LRTI (CAP): acute lower respiratory illness of no other known cause which is usually associated with fever, symptoms and signs of the chest and abnormalities on the CXR. (BTS 1993).

Exclusion criteria

• Pneumonia developed at or after 48 hours, or history of hospital admissions within 1 month of the present admission (to exclude hospital-acquired infections)
• Patients who are unable to cooperate with the study protocols (such as mentally confused, dementia) or are physically unable to sit or stand independently to carry out the tests optimally.
• Patients with TOCC associations with infections such Avian Flu or SARS (travel to endemic areas, at-risk occupations, close contacts with index cases, especially with compatible clinical features) or NPA revealed positivity of influenza A/B
• Patients who are clinically or haemodynamically unstable, such as the need for inotropes, oxygen supplement of >2L/min, any types of shock, etc.
• Underlying diseases that might affect the coughing effort (such as musculoskeletal diseases, or severe kyphoscoliosis)