Environmental contamination by SARS-CoV-2 in a designated hospital for coronavirus disease 2019

Songjie Wu, Ying Wang, Xuelan Jin, Jia Tian, Jianzhong Liu, Yiping Mao, Songjie Wu, Ying Wang, Xuelan Jin, Jia Tian, Jianzhong Liu, Yiping Mao

Abstract

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is characterized by risk of nosocomial transmission; however, the extent of environmental contamination and its potential contribution of environmental contamination to SARS-CoV-2 transmission are poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate whether environmental contamination may play a role in SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

Methods: Air samples were collected by natural precipitation, and environmental surface samples were collected by conventional surface swabbing. SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection was performed using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.

Results: Viral RNA was not detected in the 44 air samples. The positive rates in 200 environmental surface samples in medical areas (24.83%) was higher than that in living quarters (3.64%), with a significant difference (P < .05). The positive rates were 25.00% and 37.50% for the general isolation ward and intensive care unit, respectively, and no significant difference was observed between them (P = .238). The top 5 sampling sites with a positive rate in medical areas were beepers (50.00%), water machine buttons (50.00%), elevator buttons (42.86%), computer mouses (40.00%), and telephones (40.00%).

Conclusions: Most of the touchable surfaces in the designated hospital for COVID-19 were heavily contaminated, suggesting that the environment is a potential medium of disease transmission. These results emphasize the need for strict environmental surface hygiene practices and enhanced hand hygiene to prevent the spread of the virus.

Keywords: Air; Disinfection; Environmental surface; Hand hygiene; Hospital-associated infection.

Copyright © 2020 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1
Room layout of the general isolation ward 1 and the living quarters showing environmental and air sampling sites. Numbered labels correspond to environmental sampling sites. ① beepers; ② bed rails; ③ desktops;④ bedside tables;⑤ oxygen cylinder valve;⑥ medical equipment such as ventilator, monitors, and X-ray devices, etc;⑦ door handles;⑧ elevator buttons;⑨ keyboards;⑩ computer mouses;⑪ telephones; ⑫ water machine buttons; A refers to air samples. The medical area with moderate and high risk contains patient's room, nurses station, buffer room for taking off PPE, and elevator; the living quarters with low risk contains the rest rooms, office area, and buffer room for taking on PPE.

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Source: PubMed

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