tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Int J Hyg Environ Health
. 2020 Aug 7;230:113600.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2020.113600. Online ahead of print.
Surfaces and equipment contamination by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in the emergency department at a university hospital
Olivier Peyrony[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sami Ellouze[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Jean-Paul Fontaine[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Micheline Thegat-Le Cam[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Maud Salmona[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Linda Feghoul[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Nadia Mahjoub[SUP] 7 [/SUP], S?verine Mercier-Delarue[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Audrey Gabassi[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Constance Delaugerre[SUP] 10 [/SUP], J?r?me Le Goff[SUP] 11 [/SUP], Saint-Louis CORE (COvid REsearch) group
Collaborators, Affiliations
Abstract
Objectives: Environmental contamination by patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) through respiratory droplets suggests that surfaces and equipment could be a medium of transmission. We aimed to assess the surface and equipment contamination by SARS-COV-2 of an emergency department (ED) during the coronavirus infectious disease-2019 (COVID-19) outbreak.
Methods: We performed multiple samples from different sites in ED patients care and non-patient care areas with sterile premoistened swabs and used real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2 ribonucleic acid (RNA). We also sampled the personal protective equipment (PPE) from health care workers (HCWs).
Results: Among the 192 total samples, 10 (5.2%) were positive. In patient care areas, 5/46 (10.9%) of the surfaces directly in contact with COVID-19 patients revealed the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA, and 4/56 (7.1%) of the surfaces that were not directly in contact with COVID-19 patients were positive. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was present only in the patients' examination and monitoring rooms. Before decontamination SARS-CoV-2 RNA was present on the saturation clip, the scuff for blood pressure measurement, the stretcher, the plastic screens between patients and the floor. After decontamination, SARS-CoV-2 RNA remained on the scuff, the stretcher and the trolleys. All samples from non-patient care areas or staff working rooms were negative. Only one sample from the PPE of the HCWs was positive.
Conclusions: Our findings suggest that surfaces and equipment contamination by SARS-CoV-2 RNA in an ED during the COVID-19 outbreak is low and concerns exclusively patients' examination and monitoring rooms, preserving non-patient care areas.
Keywords: COVID-19; Contamination; Emergency department; Equipment; SARS-CoV-2; Surfaces.
. 2020 Aug 7;230:113600.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2020.113600. Online ahead of print.
Surfaces and equipment contamination by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in the emergency department at a university hospital
Olivier Peyrony[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sami Ellouze[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Jean-Paul Fontaine[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Micheline Thegat-Le Cam[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Maud Salmona[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Linda Feghoul[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Nadia Mahjoub[SUP] 7 [/SUP], S?verine Mercier-Delarue[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Audrey Gabassi[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Constance Delaugerre[SUP] 10 [/SUP], J?r?me Le Goff[SUP] 11 [/SUP], Saint-Louis CORE (COvid REsearch) group
Collaborators, Affiliations
- PMID: 32799101
- PMCID: PMC7413114
- DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2020.113600
Abstract
Objectives: Environmental contamination by patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) through respiratory droplets suggests that surfaces and equipment could be a medium of transmission. We aimed to assess the surface and equipment contamination by SARS-COV-2 of an emergency department (ED) during the coronavirus infectious disease-2019 (COVID-19) outbreak.
Methods: We performed multiple samples from different sites in ED patients care and non-patient care areas with sterile premoistened swabs and used real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2 ribonucleic acid (RNA). We also sampled the personal protective equipment (PPE) from health care workers (HCWs).
Results: Among the 192 total samples, 10 (5.2%) were positive. In patient care areas, 5/46 (10.9%) of the surfaces directly in contact with COVID-19 patients revealed the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA, and 4/56 (7.1%) of the surfaces that were not directly in contact with COVID-19 patients were positive. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was present only in the patients' examination and monitoring rooms. Before decontamination SARS-CoV-2 RNA was present on the saturation clip, the scuff for blood pressure measurement, the stretcher, the plastic screens between patients and the floor. After decontamination, SARS-CoV-2 RNA remained on the scuff, the stretcher and the trolleys. All samples from non-patient care areas or staff working rooms were negative. Only one sample from the PPE of the HCWs was positive.
Conclusions: Our findings suggest that surfaces and equipment contamination by SARS-CoV-2 RNA in an ED during the COVID-19 outbreak is low and concerns exclusively patients' examination and monitoring rooms, preserving non-patient care areas.
Keywords: COVID-19; Contamination; Emergency department; Equipment; SARS-CoV-2; Surfaces.