Almost every single time someone links a paper on HN as evidence of their statement, it shows evidence of the opposite of their statement:
2nd paragraph:
In a study by Chia et al. (2020), SARS-CoV-2 genes were detected in sampled aerosol particles with diameters >4 μm and 1–4 μm [20]. In a study by Liu et al. (2020), SARS-CoV-2 was detected in submicrometer aerosol particles ranging between <0.25 and 1 μm in diameter via a droplet-digital-PCR-based detection method [21]. In a study by Liu et al. (2020), the maximum SARS-CoV-2 concentrations of 40 and 9 copies per m3 of air were measured in aerosol samples with diameters of 0.25–0.5 μm and 0.5–1.0 μm, respectively [21].
>> In a study by Chia et al. (2020), SARS-CoV-2 genes were detected in sampled aerosol particles with diameters >4 μm and 1–4 μm [20]. In a study by Liu et al. (2020), SARS-CoV-2 was detected in submicrometer aerosol particles ranging between <0.25 and 1 μm in diameter via a droplet-digital-PCR-based detection method [21]. In a study by Liu et al. (2020), the maximum SARS-CoV-2 concentrations of 40 and 9 copies per m3 of air were measured in aerosol samples with diameters of 0.25–0.5 μm and 0.5–1.0 μm, respectively [21].
Are those viable virus particles? Because that's what actually matters, not the mere presence of genes. Also, are the smaller droplets as effective at transmission as the larger ones? Scanning the paper, it looks like they get smaller as they desiccate.
> Why would a virus become unviable just because it's embedded in a smaller droplet?
From my scan, it looked like some of the smaller droplet sizes were due to desiccation of larger particles. As a particle desiccates, concentrations will change, and maybe they'll change in a way that makes the virus non-viable E.g., imagine a freshwater lake that contains certain amount of salt, as you dry it out it will get saltier and saltier, to the point where freshwater fish can no longer live in it. Eventually you get a salt pan.
2nd paragraph:
In a study by Chia et al. (2020), SARS-CoV-2 genes were detected in sampled aerosol particles with diameters >4 μm and 1–4 μm [20]. In a study by Liu et al. (2020), SARS-CoV-2 was detected in submicrometer aerosol particles ranging between <0.25 and 1 μm in diameter via a droplet-digital-PCR-based detection method [21]. In a study by Liu et al. (2020), the maximum SARS-CoV-2 concentrations of 40 and 9 copies per m3 of air were measured in aerosol samples with diameters of 0.25–0.5 μm and 0.5–1.0 μm, respectively [21].