SARS-CoV-2 in Environmental Samples of Quarantined Households

Döhla, Manuel; Schulte, Bianca; Wilbring, Gero; Kümmerer, Beate M.; Döhla, Christin; Sib, Esther; Richter, Enrico; Ottensmeyer, Patrick Frank; Haag, Alexandra; Engelhart, Steffen; Eis‐Hübinger, Anna Maria; Exner, Martin; Mutters, Nico T.; Schmithausen, Ricarda Maria; Streeck, Hendrik

doi:10.3390/v14051075

Cited by 35 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 70 publications

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“…Oropharyngeal swabs were not consistently collected from infected persons for confirmation of infection and the actual level SARS-CoV-2 shedding in addition to the collection of air samples. Infectiousness of SARS-CoV-2 detected in air was not investigated in most studies ( Chia et al , 2020 ; Guo et al , 2020 ; Liu et al , 2020 ; Conway-Morris et al , 2021 ) or could not be shown ( Döhla et al , 2022 ; Nannu Shankar et al , 2022 ). Infectivity and amount of shed virus have been reported to rapidly decline during the first week after illness onset ( van Beek et al , 2021 ; van Kampen et al , 2021 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in Air and on Surfaces in Rooms of Infected Nursing Home Residents

Linde

Wouters

Kluytmans

et al. 2022

Annals of Work Exposures and Health

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There is an ongoing debate on airborne transmission of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) as a risk factor for infection. In this study, the level of SARS-CoV-2 in air and on surfaces of SARS-CoV-2 infected nursing home residents was assessed to gain insight in potential transmission routes. During outbreaks, air samples were collected using three different active and one passive air sampling technique in rooms of infected patients. Oropharyngeal swabs (OPS) of the residents and dry surface swabs were collected. Additionally, longitudinal passive air samples were collected during a period of 4 months in common areas of the wards. Presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA was determined using RT-qPCR, targeting the RdRp- and E-genes. OPS, samples of two active air samplers and surface swabs with Ct-value ≤35 were tested for the presence of infectious virus by cell culture. In total, 360 air and 319 surface samples from patient rooms and common areas were collected. In rooms of 10 residents with detected SARS-CoV-2 RNA in OPS, SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in 93 of 184 collected environmental samples (50.5%) (lowest Ct 29.5), substantially more than in the rooms of residents with negative OPS on the day of environmental sampling (n = 2) (3.6%). SARS-CoV-2 RNA was most frequently present in the larger particle size fractions [>4 μm 60% (6/10); 1–4 μm 50% (5/10); <1 μm 20% (2/10)] (Fischer exact test P = 0.076). The highest proportion of RNA-positive air samples on room level was found with a filtration-based sampler 80% (8/10) and the cyclone-based sampler 70% (7/10), and impingement-based sampler 50% (5/10). SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in 10 out of 12 (83%) passive air samples in patient rooms. Both high-touch and low-touch surfaces contained SARS-CoV-2 genome in rooms of residents with positive OPS [high 38% (21/55); low 50% (22/44)]. In one active air sample, infectious virus in vitro was detected. In conclusion, SARS-CoV-2 is frequently detected in air and on surfaces in the immediate surroundings of room-isolated COVID-19 patients, providing evidence of environmental contamination. The environmental contamination of SARS-CoV-2 and infectious aerosols confirm the potential for transmission via air up to several meters.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in Air and on Surfaces in Rooms of Infected Nursing Home Residents

Linde

Wouters

Kluytmans

et al. 2022

Annals of Work Exposures and Health

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“…Döhla et al emphasized the importance of selecting an appropriate sampling method, as it can influence the stability of viruses in the sample. Since there is no generally recommended virus air sampling method, the choice of air sampler needs to be individually determined based on the specific experimental setup 51 . Most commonly used air samplers for collecting SARS-CoV-2 include filters, impactors, cyclone samplers and impingers 52 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stability of Feline Coronavirus in aerosols and dried in organic matrices on surfaces at various environmental conditions

Reissner,

Siller,

Bartel

et al. 2023

Sci Rep

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Enveloped respiratory viruses, including the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), can be transmitted through aerosols and contact with contaminated surfaces. The stability of these viruses outside the host significantly impacts their transmission dynamics and the spread of diseases. In this study, we investigated the tenacity of Feline Coronavirus (FCoV) in aerosols and on surfaces under varying environmental conditions. We found that airborne FCoV showed different stability depending on relative humidity (RH), with higher stability observed at low and high RH. Medium RH conditions (50–60%) were associated with increased loss of infectivity. Furthermore, FCoV remained infectious in the airborne state over 7 h. On stainless-steel surfaces, FCoV remained infectious for several months, with stability influenced by organic material and temperature. The presence of yeast extract and a temperature of 4 °C resulted in the longest maintenance of infectivity, with a 5 log10 reduction of the initial concentration after 167 days. At 20 °C, this reduction was achieved after 19 days. These findings highlight the potential risk of aerosol and contact transmission of respiratory viruses, especially in enclosed environments, over extended periods. Studying surrogate viruses like FCoV provides important insights into the behavior of zoonotic viruses like SARS-CoV-2 in the environment.

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“…Biomarkers may also enter the wastewater network via oral, nasal, or dermal secretions (e.g., during showering/bathing, handwashing, spitting, mouth washing, nasal irrigation). For example, a recent SARS-CoV-2 study identified viral RNA in washbasin and shower siphons of households containing known COVID-19 cases, 54 and modeling has suggested that sputum can be a major source of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater. 55 Although the ability of WBE to detect biomarkers predominantly present in nonurinary/fecal sources is an area requiring more attention, it would seem likely that the detection of such biomarkers will be influenced by the scale of the monitoring, with community-level monitoring less likely to detect these biomarkers compared with neighborhood- or building-level monitoring.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Framework for Public Health Authorities to Evaluate Health Determinants for Wastewater-Based Epidemiology

Eaton

Coxon

Pattis

et al. 2022

Environ Health Perspect

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Background: Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is rapidly developing as a powerful public health tool. It can provide information about a wide range of health determinants (HDs), including community exposure to environmental hazards, trends in consumption of licit and illicit substances, spread of infectious diseases, and general community health. As such, the list of possible candidate HDs for WBE is almost limitless. Consequently, a means to evaluate and prioritize suitable candidates for WBE is useful, particularly for public health authorities, who often face resource constraints. Objectives: We have developed a framework to assist public health authorities to decide what HDs may be appropriate for WBE and what biomarkers could be used. This commentary reflects the experience of the authors, who work at the interface of research and public health implementation. Discussion: To be suitable for WBE, a candidate HD should address a public health or scientific issue that would benefit from better understanding at the population level. For HDs where information on individual exposures or stratification by population subgroups is required, WBE is less suitable. Where other methodologies are already used to monitor the candidate HD, consideration must be given to whether WBE could provide better or complementary information to the current approach. An essential requirement of WBE is a biomarker specific for the candidate HD. A biomarker in this context refers to any human-excreted chemical or biological that could act as an indicator of consumption or exposure to an environmental hazard or of the human health state. Suitable biomarkers should meet several criteria outlined in this commentary, which requires background knowledge for both the biomarker and the HD. An evaluation tree summarizing key considerations for public health authorities when assessing the suitability of candidate HDs for WBE and an example evaluation are presented. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP11115

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SARS-CoV-2 in Environmental Samples of Quarantined Households

Cited by 35 publications

References 70 publications

Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in Air and on Surfaces in Rooms of Infected Nursing Home Residents

Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in Air and on Surfaces in Rooms of Infected Nursing Home Residents

Stability of Feline Coronavirus in aerosols and dried in organic matrices on surfaces at various environmental conditions

A Framework for Public Health Authorities to Evaluate Health Determinants for Wastewater-Based Epidemiology

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