Investigating the presence of SARS-CoV-2 on the Surfaces, Fomites, and in Indoor Air of a referral COVID-19 Hospital in a Middle Eastern Area

Abstract

Coronavirus illness (COVID-19) is an immensely transmissible viral infectious disease caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This study aimed to assess the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the indoor air, on the surfaces, and the fomites, and in the indoor air of a COVID-19 referral hospital in Shiraz, Iran. Indoor air sampling was conducted utilizing a standard midget impinger contained 15 ml of viral transfer medium (VTM) equipped with a sampling pump with a flow rate of 10 L min− 1 for 60 minutes. Surfaces and fomites were sampled using sterile polyester swabs. The RNA of SARS-CoV-2 was detected in about 41.2% of indoor air and 32% of swab samples. Four out of the six (66.7%) indoor air samples up to a distance of 2 meters from the patient’s bed in intensive care units (ICU-1, ICU-3), accident and emergency (A&E-2), and negative pressure room were positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. All air samples within 2 to 5 meters from the patient’s bed were negative. This study’s results did not support the airborne SARS-CoV-2 transmission; However, it showed contamination of surfaces and fomites in the studied hospital’s wards.

COVID-19 prevention and health promotion for the whole community

“…Respiratory secretions or droplets expelled by infected individuals can contaminate surfaces and objects, creating fomites (Gharehchahi et al, 2023). Therefore, transmission may also occur indirectly through touching surfaces in the immediate environment or objects contaminated with the virus from an infected person, followed by touching the mouth, nose, or eyes (Short et al, 2023;Ong et al, 2020).…”

A comprehensive health effects assessment of the use of sanitizers and disinfectants during COVID-19 pandemic: a global survey

“…The literature shows that SARS-CoV-2 can float in the air for 3 h, on smooth surfaces (glass, plastic, banknotes) for 4 to 7 days, on the outer layer of the surgical mask for up to 7 days, on copper surfaces, cardboard, and paper for less than 3 h and stainless steel up to 72 h (Chin et al, 2020 ; Dhama et al, 2021 ; Doremalen et al, 2020 ). The shelf life of the virus depends on various factors such as temperature, relative humidity, and pressure (Dindarloo et al, 2020 ; Gharehchahi et al, 2023 ; Kampf, 2020 ). To reduce the spread of the virus and disrupt the transmission chain, disinfection using sanitizers and disinfectants for living and non-living surfaces as an efficient method was recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Environmental Protection Agency in accordance with the issued instructions (Chen et al, 2021 ; Dindarloo et al, 2020 ).…”