Assuming a radius of 50 nanometers (in the center of the estimated range) of Sars-CoV-2, the volume of a single spherical virus particle results in 523,000 cubic nanometers.
Multiplying this very small volume by the very large number of particles that we calculated earlier, and converting it into significant units gives us a total volume of about 120 milliliters. If we wanted to put all these virus particles together in one place, we would need to remember that the spheres do not compact perfectly.
If you think about the orange pyramid you can see in the supermarket, you will remember that a significant part of the space it occupies is empty. In fact, the best thing you can do to minimize empty space is a configuration called “packing of close spheres”, in which empty space occupies about 26% of the total volume. This increases the total volume collected of Sars-CoV-2 particles to about 160 milliliters – easily small enough to fit in about six dose cups. Even taking the upper end of the diameter estimate and taking into account the size of the peak proteins, all Sars-CoV-2 still did not fill a can of soda.
It turns out that the total volume of Sars-CoV-2 was among my wife’s approximate estimates of the teaspoon and pool. It is surprising to think that all the problems, disturbances, difficulties and loss of life that resulted in the last year could constitute only a few sips of what would undoubtedly be the worst drink in history.
Christian Yates is a senior professor of mathematical biology at the University of Bath and author of The Maths of Life and Death.
This article was adapted from a piece that originally appeared in The Conversation, and is republished under a Creative Commons license.
–
As an award-winning science website, BBC Future is committed to bringing you evidence-based analysis and myth-destroying stories around the new coronavirus. You can read more about our Covid-19 coverage here.
Join the million fans of the future liking us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter or Instagram.