Aerosol and surface contamination of SARS-CoV-2 observed in quarantine and isolation care

TLDR

SARS‑CoV‑2 emerged in late 2019 and caused a global pandemic, yet evidence on its transmission routes remains limited, leading to evolving airborne and droplet precaution guidelines. The study aimed to assess viral shedding by collecting air and surface samples from 13 isolated COVID‑19 patients. The authors collected air and surface samples from 13 isolated COVID‑19 patients at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. All samples contained viral contamination, supporting the use of airborne isolation precautions when caring for COVID‑19 patients.

Abstract

Abstract The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) originated in Wuhan, China in late 2019, and its resulting coronavirus disease, COVID-19, was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020. The rapid global spread of COVID-19 represents perhaps the most significant public health emergency in a century. As the pandemic progressed, a continued paucity of evidence on routes of SARS-CoV-2 transmission has resulted in shifting infection prevention and control guidelines between classically-defined airborne and droplet precautions. During the initial isolation of 13 individuals with COVID-19 at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, we collected air and surface samples to examine viral shedding from isolated individuals. We detected viral contamination among all samples, supporting the use of airborne isolation precautions when caring for COVID-19 patients.