Environmental contamination of SARS-CoV-2 on surfaces, air-conditioner and ventilation systems.

Air Air-conditioning system Airborne COVID-19 Disinfection Food safety Nursing home Outbreak SARS-CoV-2 Sewage Ship Surfaces Ventilation system Waste

Journal

International journal of hygiene and environmental health
ISSN: 1618-131X
Titre abrégé: Int J Hyg Environ Health
Pays: Germany
ID NLM: 100898843

Informations de publication

Date de publication:
09 2020
Historique:
received: 28 04 2020
revised: 17 07 2020
accepted: 19 07 2020
pubmed: 22 8 2020
medline: 16 11 2021
entrez: 22 8 2020
Statut: ppublish

Résumé

COVID-19 can be transmitted directly through respiratory droplets or indirectly through fomites. SARS-CoV-2 has been detected on various environmental surfaces, air samples and sewage in hospital and community settings. Environmental samples were collected from a ferryboat during a COVID-19 ongoing outbreak investigation and a nursing home and from three COVID-19 isolation hospital wards and a long-term care facility where asymptomatic COVID-19 cases were isolated. Samples were tested by real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. SARS-CoV-2 was detected on swab samples taken from surfaces of food preparation and service areas, hospital isolation wards, an air exhaust duct screen, air-conditioning filter, sewage treatment unit and air sample during investigations conducted in response to COVID-19 outbreaks on a ferryboat, nursing home, isolation facility and COVID-19 hospital wards. Food preparation areas and utensils can be contaminated during COVID-19 outbreaks. Respiratory droplets/nuclei from infected persons can be displaced by the air flow and deposited on surfaces. It can be assumed that in the same manner, air flow could transfer and deposit infected respiratory droplets/nuclei from infected persons to the mucous membranes of persons standing against the air flow direction.

Sections du résumé

BACKGROUND
COVID-19 can be transmitted directly through respiratory droplets or indirectly through fomites. SARS-CoV-2 has been detected on various environmental surfaces, air samples and sewage in hospital and community settings.
METHODS
Environmental samples were collected from a ferryboat during a COVID-19 ongoing outbreak investigation and a nursing home and from three COVID-19 isolation hospital wards and a long-term care facility where asymptomatic COVID-19 cases were isolated. Samples were tested by real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction.
RESULTS
SARS-CoV-2 was detected on swab samples taken from surfaces of food preparation and service areas, hospital isolation wards, an air exhaust duct screen, air-conditioning filter, sewage treatment unit and air sample during investigations conducted in response to COVID-19 outbreaks on a ferryboat, nursing home, isolation facility and COVID-19 hospital wards.
DISCUSSION
Food preparation areas and utensils can be contaminated during COVID-19 outbreaks. Respiratory droplets/nuclei from infected persons can be displaced by the air flow and deposited on surfaces. It can be assumed that in the same manner, air flow could transfer and deposit infected respiratory droplets/nuclei from infected persons to the mucous membranes of persons standing against the air flow direction.

Identifiants

pubmed: 32823069
pii: S1438-4639(20)30545-9
doi: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2020.113599
pmc: PMC7425762
pii:
doi:

Types de publication

Journal Article

Langues

eng

Sous-ensembles de citation

IM

Pagination

113599

Informations de copyright

Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

Auteurs

Varvara A Mouchtouri (VA)

Laboratory of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Larisa, Greece.

Michalis Koureas (M)

Laboratory of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Larisa, Greece.

Maria Kyritsi (M)

Laboratory of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Larisa, Greece.

Alexandros Vontas (A)

Laboratory of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Larisa, Greece.

Leonidas Kourentis (L)

Laboratory of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Larisa, Greece.

Spyros Sapounas (S)

Hellenic National Public Health Organization, Athens, Greece.

George Rigakos (G)

Hellenic National Public Health Organization, Athens, Greece.

Efthimia Petinaki (E)

Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece.

Sotirios Tsiodras (S)

National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, Athens, Greece.

Christos Hadjichristodoulou (C)

Laboratory of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Larisa, Greece. Electronic address: xhatzi@uth.gr.

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Classifications MeSH