Investigation of SARS-CoV-2 Contamination of Indoor Air and Highly Touched Surfaces On-Campus Buildings

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) spreads primarily through respiratory droplets, aerosols, and contaminated surfaces. While high-traffic locations like hospitals and airports have been studied extensively, detecting significant virus levels in aerosols and on environmental surfaces, campus settings remain underexplored. This study focused on two crowded buildings at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC). From December 2021 to March 2022, we collected 16 indoor air samples and 201 samples from high-touch surfaces. During the sampling timeframe, 44.82% of surface samples from the Student Union and 28% from the University Recreational Center (UREC) tested positive for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Median and average viral RNA copies per swab were higher in UREC (273 and 475) than in Student Union (92 and 269). However, all air samples tested negative. Surface positivity in these high-traffic campus locations was directly correlated with COVID-19 clinical cases in Mecklenburg County. The campus COVID-19 cases, driven by the Omicron wave, peaked a week before the peak detection of surface contamination. These findings underscore the importance of surface hygiene measures and highlight environmental conditions as potential contributors to COVID-19 spread on campuses.