Lack of viable severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) among PCR-positive air samples from hospital rooms and community isolation facilities.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol
; 42(11): 1327-1332, 2021 11.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-33487210
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Understanding the extent of aerosol-based transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is important for tailoring interventions for control of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Multiple studies have reported the detection of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid in air samples, but only one study has successfully recovered viable virus, although it is limited by its small sample size.OBJECTIVE:
We aimed to determine the extent of shedding of viable SARS-CoV-2 in respiratory aerosols from COVID-19 patients.METHODS:
In this observational air sampling study, air samples from airborne-infection isolation rooms (AIIRs) and a community isolation facility (CIF) housing COVID-19 patients were collected using a water vapor condensation method into liquid collection media. Samples were tested for presence of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and qRT-PCR-positive samples were tested for viability using viral culture.RESULTS:
Samples from 6 (50%) of the 12 sampling cycles in hospital rooms were positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA, including aerosols ranging from <1 µm to >4 µm in diameter. Of 9 samples from the CIF, 1 was positive via qRT-PCR. Viral RNA concentrations ranged from 179 to 2,738 ORF1ab gene copies per cubic meter of air. Virus cultures were negative after 4 blind passages.CONCLUSION:
Although SARS-CoV-2 is readily captured in aerosols, virus culture remains challenging despite optimized sampling methodologies to preserve virus viability. Further studies on aerosol-based transmission and control of SARS-CoV-2 are needed.Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
RNA, Viral
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Observational_studies
Limits:
Humans
Language:
En
Journal:
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol
Journal subject:
DOENCAS TRANSMISSIVEIS
/
ENFERMAGEM
/
EPIDEMIOLOGIA
/
HOSPITAIS
Year:
2021
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country: