SARS-CoV-2 in Environmental Samples of Quarantined Households

Viruses

Ricarda Maria Schmithausen¹  Manuel Döhla¹  Steffen Engelhart¹  Christin Döhla¹  Nico Tom Mutters¹  Esther Sib¹  Alexandra Haag¹  Martin Exner¹  Gero Wilbring¹  Anna Maria Eis-Hübinger²  Bianca Schulte²  Enrico Richter²  Hendrik Streeck²  Beate Mareike Kümmerer²  Patrick Frank Ottensmeyer² 

[1] Institute for Hygiene and Public Health, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127 Bonn, Germany;Institute of Virology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127 Bonn, Germany;

关键词: SARS-CoV-2;    COVID-19;    smear infection;    environment;    quarantine;    airborne transmission;   

DOI  :  10.3390/v14051075

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

The role of environmental transmission of SARS-CoV-2 remains unclear. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate whether viral contamination of air, wastewater, and surfaces in quarantined households result in a higher risk for exposed persons. For this study, a source population of 21 households under quarantine conditions with at least one person who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA were randomly selected from a community in North Rhine-Westphalia in March 2020. All individuals living in these households participated in this study and provided throat swabs for analysis. Air and wastewater samples and surface swabs were obtained from each household and analysed using qRT-PCR. Positive swabs were further cultured to analyse for viral infectivity. Out of all the 43 tested adults, 26 (60.47%) tested positive using qRT-PCR. All 15 air samples were qRT-PCR-negative. In total, 10 out of 66 wastewater samples were positive for SARS-CoV-2 (15.15%) and 4 out of 119 surface samples (3.36%). No statistically significant correlation between qRT-PCR-positive environmental samples and the extent of the spread of infection between household members was observed. No infectious virus could be propagated under cell culture conditions. Taken together, our study demonstrates a low likelihood of transmission via surfaces. However, to definitively assess the importance of hygienic behavioural measures in the reduction of SARS-CoV-2 transmission, larger studies should be designed to determine the proportionate contribution of smear vs. droplet transmission.

【 授权许可】

Unknown