Quick Review: Evidence of COVID-19 Transmission and Similar Acute Respiratory Infections in Open Public Spaces

Aim Describe the available evidence on transmission by Covid-19 and acute respiratory infections similar to Covid-19 in open public spaces Material and methods The search included 4,926 articles in English from the years 2000 to 2020 Six investigators reviewed the title and abstract of the articles from Embase and PubMed;two researchers reviewed those from medRxiv All investigators reviewed full texts and others resolved discrepancies Results Of the 21 selected articles, it was observed that the presence of virus in public surfaces, wastewater and outdoor areas was not indicative of transmission However, it was observed that the use of face masks, hand washing, social distancing, not attending mass events and individual mobility to public spaces could help reduce the risk of transmission Conclution This information could contribute to generating recommendations in public health, however, it is advisable to update this review as the scientific evidence advances