tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Nat Commun
. 2020 May 29;11(1):2800.
doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-16670-2.
Detection of Air and Surface Contamination by SARS-CoV-2 in Hospital Rooms of Infected Patients
Po Ying Chia[SUP] 1 2 3 [/SUP], Kristen Kelli Coleman[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Yian Kim Tan[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Sean Wei Xiang Ong[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Marcus Gum[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Sok Kiang Lau[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Xiao Fang Lim[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Ai Sim Lim[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Stephanie Sutjipto[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Pei Hua Lee[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Than The Son[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Barnaby Edward Young[SUP] 1 2 3 [/SUP], Donald K Milton[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Gregory C Gray[SUP] 4 7 8 [/SUP], Stephan Schuster[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Timothy Barkham[SUP] 2 10 [/SUP], Partha Pratim De[SUP] 2 3 [/SUP], Shawn Vasoo[SUP] 1 2 3 [/SUP], Monica Chan[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Brenda Sze Peng Ang[SUP] 1 2 3 10 [/SUP], Boon Huan Tan[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Yee-Sin Leo[SUP] 1 2 3 10 [/SUP], Oon-Tek Ng[SUP] 11 12 13 [/SUP], Michelle Su Yen Wong[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Kalisvar Marimuthu[SUP] 14 15 16 [/SUP], Singapore 2019 Novel Coronavirus Outbreak Research Team
Collaborators, Affiliations
Abstract
Understanding the particle size distribution in the air and patterns of environmental contamination of SARS-CoV-2 is essential for infection prevention policies. Here we screen surface and air samples from hospital rooms of COVID-19 patients for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Environmental sampling is conducted in three airborne infection isolation rooms (AIIRs) in the ICU and 27 AIIRs in the general ward. 245 surface samples are collected. 56.7% of rooms have at least one environmental surface contaminated. High touch surface contamination is shown in ten (66.7%) out of 15 patients in the first week of illness, and three (20%) beyond the first week of illness (p = 0.01, χ[SUP]2[/SUP] test). Air sampling is performed in three of the 27 AIIRs in the general ward, and detects SARS-CoV-2 PCR-positive particles of sizes >4 ?m and 1-4 ?m in two rooms, despite these rooms having 12 air changes per hour. This warrants further study of the airborne transmission potential of SARS-CoV-2.
. 2020 May 29;11(1):2800.
doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-16670-2.
Detection of Air and Surface Contamination by SARS-CoV-2 in Hospital Rooms of Infected Patients
Po Ying Chia[SUP] 1 2 3 [/SUP], Kristen Kelli Coleman[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Yian Kim Tan[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Sean Wei Xiang Ong[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Marcus Gum[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Sok Kiang Lau[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Xiao Fang Lim[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Ai Sim Lim[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Stephanie Sutjipto[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Pei Hua Lee[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Than The Son[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Barnaby Edward Young[SUP] 1 2 3 [/SUP], Donald K Milton[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Gregory C Gray[SUP] 4 7 8 [/SUP], Stephan Schuster[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Timothy Barkham[SUP] 2 10 [/SUP], Partha Pratim De[SUP] 2 3 [/SUP], Shawn Vasoo[SUP] 1 2 3 [/SUP], Monica Chan[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Brenda Sze Peng Ang[SUP] 1 2 3 10 [/SUP], Boon Huan Tan[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Yee-Sin Leo[SUP] 1 2 3 10 [/SUP], Oon-Tek Ng[SUP] 11 12 13 [/SUP], Michelle Su Yen Wong[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Kalisvar Marimuthu[SUP] 14 15 16 [/SUP], Singapore 2019 Novel Coronavirus Outbreak Research Team
Collaborators, Affiliations
- PMID: 32472043
- DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16670-2
Abstract
Understanding the particle size distribution in the air and patterns of environmental contamination of SARS-CoV-2 is essential for infection prevention policies. Here we screen surface and air samples from hospital rooms of COVID-19 patients for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Environmental sampling is conducted in three airborne infection isolation rooms (AIIRs) in the ICU and 27 AIIRs in the general ward. 245 surface samples are collected. 56.7% of rooms have at least one environmental surface contaminated. High touch surface contamination is shown in ten (66.7%) out of 15 patients in the first week of illness, and three (20%) beyond the first week of illness (p = 0.01, χ[SUP]2[/SUP] test). Air sampling is performed in three of the 27 AIIRs in the general ward, and detects SARS-CoV-2 PCR-positive particles of sizes >4 ?m and 1-4 ?m in two rooms, despite these rooms having 12 air changes per hour. This warrants further study of the airborne transmission potential of SARS-CoV-2.