When we inhale isolated coronavirus particles, more than 65 percent reach the deepest region of our lungs, new research has discovered, and more of these aerosols reach the right lung than the left.

Lead author of the study Dr Saidul Islam, from the University of Technology Sydney, said while previous research has revealed how virus aerosols travel through the upper airways including the nose, mouth and throat — this study was the first to examine how they flow through the lower lungs.

«Our lungs resemble tree branches that divide up to 23 times into smaller and smaller branches. Due to the complexity of this geometry it is difficult to develop a computer simulation, however we were able to model what happens in the first 17 generations, or branches, of the airways,» said Dr Islam.

«Depending on our breathing rate, between 32% and 35% of viral particles are deposited in these first 17 branches. This means around 65% of virus particles escape to the deepest regions of our lungs, which includes the alveoli or air sacs,» he said.

The alveolar system is critical to our ability to absorb oxygen, so significant amounts of virus in this region, along with inflammation caused by our body’s immune response, can cause severe damage, reducing the amount of oxygen in the blood and increasing the risk of death.

The study also revealed that more virus particles are deposited in the right lung, especially the right upper lobe and the right lower lobe, than in the left lung. This is due to the highly asymmetrical anatomical structure of the lungs and the way air flows through the different lobes.

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Materials provided by University of Technology Sydney. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.