Abstract
Contamination of surfaces has been implicated in transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We tested by real-time PCR for SARS-CoV-2 contamination environmental samples from three hospitals during the peak of the third pandemic wave. Overall, 19 of 463 (4.1%) samples tested positive: 12 of 173 (6.9%) samples from a COVID-19 hospital, 3 of 177 (1.7%) samples from a non-COVID-19 hospital, and 4 of 113 (3.5%) samples from a pediatric hospital with dedicated COVID-19 clinics. Most positive samples originated from emergency departments (EDs) (47.3%) and the intensive care units (ICUs) (26.3%) of the COVID-19 hospital. Positive samples belonged almost exclusively (18/19) to the highly transmissible B.1.1.7 cluster, that might explain environmental contamination at this stage of the pandemic. The frequency and efficiency of disinfection in high-risk patient areas, such as EDs and ICUs, should be reinforced, especially during this period where highly transmissible variants of concern are widespread.
Keywords: B.1.1.7; COVID-19; Disinfection; Environmental contamination; Fomites; Hospitals; Inanimate surfaces; SARS-CoV-2.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, hospitals, B.1.1.7, fomites, Disinfection, environmental contamination, inanimate surfaces, 【초록키워드】 SARS-CoV-2, coronavirus, pandemic, pediatric, hospital, intensive care unit, Transmission, severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus, clinics, intensive care units, Contamination, Real-time PCR, B.1.1.7, Patient, Disinfection, Cluster, Frequency, Efficiency, Non-COVID-19, acute respiratory syndrome, acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, ICUs, MOST, positive sample, widespread, tested, implicated, explain, Inanimate, transmissible variant, 【제목키워드】 SARS-CoV-2, hospital,