TY - JOUR
T1 - Detection of air and surface contamination by SARS-CoV-2 in hospital rooms of infected patients
AU - for the Singapore 2019 Novel Coronavirus Outbreak Research Team
AU - Chia, Po Ying
AU - Coleman, Kristen Kelli
AU - Tan, Yian Kim
AU - Ong, Sean Wei Xiang
AU - Gum, Marcus
AU - Lau, Sok Kiang
AU - Lim, Xiao Fang
AU - Lim, Ai Sim
AU - Sutjipto, Stephanie
AU - Lee, Pei Hua
AU - Son, Than The
AU - Young, Barnaby Edward
AU - Milton, Donald K.
AU - Gray, Gregory C.
AU - Schuster, Stephan
AU - Barkham, Timothy
AU - De, Partha Pratim
AU - Vasoo, Shawn
AU - Chan, Monica
AU - Ang, Brenda Sze Peng
AU - Tan, Boon Huan
AU - Leo, Yee Sin
AU - Ng, Oon Tek
AU - Wong, Michelle Su Yen
AU - Marimuthu, Kalisvar
AU - Lye, David Chien
AU - Lim, Poh Lian
AU - Lee, Cheng Chuan
AU - Ling, Li Min
AU - Lee, Lawrence
AU - Lee, Tau Hong
AU - Wong, Chen Seong
AU - Sadarangani, Sapna
AU - Lin, Ray Junhao
AU - Ng, Deborah Hee Ling
AU - Sadasiv, Mucheli
AU - Yeo, Tsin Wen
AU - Choy, Chiaw Yee
AU - Tan, Glorijoy Shi En
AU - Dimatatac, Frederico
AU - Santos, Isais Florante
AU - Go, Chi Jong
AU - Chan, Yu Kit
AU - Tay, Jun Yang
AU - Tan, Jackie Yu Ling
AU - Pandit, Nihar
AU - Ho, Benjamin Choon Heng
AU - Mendis, Shehara
AU - Chen, Yuan Yi Constance
AU - Abdad, Mohammad Yazid
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020, The Author(s).
PY - 2020/12/1
Y1 - 2020/12/1
N2 - Understanding the particle size distribution in the air and patterns of environmental contamination of SARS-CoV-2 is essential for infection prevention policies. Here we screen surface and air samples from hospital rooms of COVID-19 patients for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Environmental sampling is conducted in three airborne infection isolation rooms (AIIRs) in the ICU and 27 AIIRs in the general ward. 245 surface samples are collected. 56.7% of rooms have at least one environmental surface contaminated. High touch surface contamination is shown in ten (66.7%) out of 15 patients in the first week of illness, and three (20%) beyond the first week of illness (p = 0.01, χ2 test). Air sampling is performed in three of the 27 AIIRs in the general ward, and detects SARS-CoV-2 PCR-positive particles of sizes >4 µm and 1–4 µm in two rooms, despite these rooms having 12 air changes per hour. This warrants further study of the airborne transmission potential of SARS-CoV-2.
AB - Understanding the particle size distribution in the air and patterns of environmental contamination of SARS-CoV-2 is essential for infection prevention policies. Here we screen surface and air samples from hospital rooms of COVID-19 patients for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Environmental sampling is conducted in three airborne infection isolation rooms (AIIRs) in the ICU and 27 AIIRs in the general ward. 245 surface samples are collected. 56.7% of rooms have at least one environmental surface contaminated. High touch surface contamination is shown in ten (66.7%) out of 15 patients in the first week of illness, and three (20%) beyond the first week of illness (p = 0.01, χ2 test). Air sampling is performed in three of the 27 AIIRs in the general ward, and detects SARS-CoV-2 PCR-positive particles of sizes >4 µm and 1–4 µm in two rooms, despite these rooms having 12 air changes per hour. This warrants further study of the airborne transmission potential of SARS-CoV-2.
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U2 - 10.1038/s41467-020-16670-2
DO - 10.1038/s41467-020-16670-2
M3 - Article
C2 - 32472043
AN - SCOPUS:85085688865
SN - 2041-1723
VL - 11
JO - Nature Communications
JF - Nature Communications
IS - 1
M1 - 2800
ER -