Abstract
Background: We evaluated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) surface and air contamination during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in London.
Methods: Prospective, cross-sectional, observational study in a multisite London hospital. Air and surface samples were collected from 7 clinical areas occupied by patients with COVID-19 and a public area of the hospital. Three or four 1.0-m3 air samples were collected in each area using an active air sampler. Surface samples were collected by swabbing items in the immediate vicinity of each air sample. SARS-CoV-2 was detected using reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and viral culture; the limit of detection for culturing SARS-CoV-2 from surfaces was determined.
Results: Viral RNA was detected on 114 of 218 (52.3%) surfaces and in 14 of 31 (38.7%) air samples, but no virus was cultured. Viral RNA was more likely to be found in areas immediately occupied by COVID-19 patients than in other areas (67 of 105 [63.8%] vs 29 of 64 [45.3%]; odds ratio, 0.5; 95% confidence interval, 0.2-0.9; P = .025, χ2 test). The high PCR cycle threshold value for all samples (>30) indicated that the virus would not be culturable.
Conclusions: Our findings of extensive viral RNA contamination of surfaces and air across a range of acute healthcare settings in the absence of cultured virus underlines the potential risk from environmental contamination in managing COVID-19 and the need for effective use of personal protective equipment, physical distancing, and hand/surface hygiene.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; air contamination; surface contamination; transmission.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Transmission, surface contamination, air contamination, 【초록키워드】 coronavirus disease, Personal protective equipment, Coronavirus disease 2019, coronavirus, pandemic, cross-sectional, hospital, Transmission, severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus, virus, observational study, RNA, polymerase chain reaction, Contamination, PCR, healthcare, Prospective, limit of detection, physical distancing, Viral RNA, surface, swabbing, viral culture, London, Quantitative, COVID-19 patients, Odds ratio, COVID-19 patient, hygiene, Chain Reaction, acute respiratory syndrome, acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, 95% confidence interval, potential risk, threshold value, cultured virus, effective, polymerase chain, PCR cycle, Prospective, cross-sectional, observational study, χ2 test, collected, indicated, evaluated, was determined, absence, multisite, patients with COVID-19, 【제목키워드】 coronavirus 2, surface, respiratory, peak, setting,