Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 environmental contamination in hospital rooms is uncommon using viral culture techniques

Abstract

We assessed environmental contamination of inpatient rooms housing COVID-19 patients in a dedicated COVID-19 unit. Contamination with SARS-CoV-2 was found on 5.5% (19/347) of surfaces via RT-PCR and 0.3% (1/347) of surfaces via cell culture. Environmental contamination is uncommon in hospitals rooms; RNA presence is not a specific indicator of infectious virus.

SARS‐CoV‐2 indoor environment contamination with epidemiological and experimental investigations

“…Showing viable virus from environmental is highly demanding. Previous studies have presented a few possibly positive findings 10‐13,36‐38,66 . However, the findings of those studies have been under criticism as none of them has been able to show clear CPE with significant decrease in Ct values leaving questions if the CPE was truly induced by SARS‐CoV‐2.…”

“… 33 SARS‐CoV‐2 RNA has been found, for example, on high‐touch surfaces, floors, and toilets, 18 , 19 , 34 , 35 and there are a few possibly positive culture findings of SARS‐CoV‐2 from the surfaces. 36 , 37 , 38 The effect of age and neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) on the spread of SARS‐CoV‐2 has been speculated, 39 , 40 , 41 but there is a lack of clear evidence for the role of patient‐related factors.…”

Healthcare-associated viral respiratory infections in paediatric intensive care unit settings: More than just a sneeze

“…Mask mandates, social distancing, improved ventilation, and better attention to hand hygiene, have decreased not only transmission of COVID-19 in schools and communities, but these measures have decreased community transmission, hospitalizations, and deaths due to other viral respiratory infections, such as influenza [ 8 , 9 ]. In the hospital setting, universal masking, strict avoidance of unnecessary staff and visitors, and more rigorous attention to hand hygiene during the pandemic period would be expected to decrease HAI viral respiratory infections [ 10 ].…”

Spread of viruses, which measures are the most apt to control COVID-19?

“…Similarly [49] , in another prospective study the authors correlated the cycle threshold (Ct) for reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) on a nasopharyngeal swab (test taken closest to the day of collection) with the percentage of RT-qPCR-positive surfaces [Spearman rank correlation coefficient of -0.48 (P<0.001)]. In a more recent study [50] , the authors assessed environmental contamination of inpatient rooms in a dedicated COVID-19 unit. Among the 347 samples, they found a contamination rate of 5.5% based on RT-PCR results and only 0.3% based on cell culture.…”