Routes of infection, routes to safety: Creative mapping of human-viral behaviours on the bus to understand infection prevention practices

There is an absence of qualitative, interdisciplinary research on the personal application of infection prevention (IP) measures, like hand-washing and mask-wearing, and its effectiveness beyond the healthcare setting. In this crisis, IP measures are critical to building confidence to resume leisure and economic activity out of the home. The project advances previous work by this team that identified a need for novel IP research which integrates behavioural, microbiological and aesthetic approaches to creatively demonstrate the interactions of human movement with microbial/viral transmission.

The case study is the public transport bus and its diverse community of users, including BAME and other higher-risk groups. The research will: i) investigate the structural challenges in consistent application of IP in public (and private) spaces; ii) provide microbiological and sociological evidence to inform and improve effective cleaning practices for bus operators and safe travel practices for bus users; iii) generate wider public knowledge and understanding of infection risk/prevention and their geographies in shared indoor spaces.

This project will build confidence by addressing unknowns about the potential viral threat of boarding the bus. The team will work quickly to undertake and integrate findings from an ethnographic research and a microbiome study to assess the effectiveness of bus cleaning routines and passenger PPE. A fluorescents mapping simulation using ultraviolet powders and sprays will mimic and demonstrate visually the mobility of 'mock' SARS-CoV-2 through contact and aerosols if IP measures are not implemented.

Outputs include the creation of novel viral aesthetic materials to communicate the effectiveness of IP.