Asymptomatic COVID-19 Patients Can Contaminate Their Surroundings: an Environment Sampling Study
ABSTRACT The contamination of patients’ surroundings by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) remains understudied. We sampled the surroundings and the air of six negative-pressure non-intensive care unit (non-ICU) rooms in a designated isolation ward in Chengdu, China, that w...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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American Society for Microbiology
2020-06-01
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| Series: | mSphere |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/mSphere.00442-20 |
| _version_ | 1831676696535760896 |
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| author | Li Wei Ji Lin Xiaofei Duan Wenzhi Huang Xiaojun Lu Juan Zhou Zhiyong Zong |
| author_facet | Li Wei Ji Lin Xiaofei Duan Wenzhi Huang Xiaojun Lu Juan Zhou Zhiyong Zong |
| author_sort | Li Wei |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT The contamination of patients’ surroundings by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) remains understudied. We sampled the surroundings and the air of six negative-pressure non-intensive care unit (non-ICU) rooms in a designated isolation ward in Chengdu, China, that were occupied by 13 laboratory-confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients who had returned from overseas travel, including 2 asymptomatic patients. A total of 44 of 112 (39.3%) surface samples were positive for SARS-CoV-2 as detected by real-time PCR, suggesting extensive contamination, although all of the air samples were negative. In particular, in a single room occupied by an asymptomatic patient, four sites were SARS-CoV-2 positive, highlighting that asymptomatic COVID-19 patients do contaminate their surroundings and impose risks for others with close contact. Placement of COVID-19 patients in rooms with negative pressure may bring a false feeling of safety, and the importance of rigorous environment cleaning should be emphasized. IMPORTANCE Although it has been well recognized that the virus SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, can be acquired by exposure to fomites, surprisingly, the contamination of patients’ surroundings by SARS-CoV-2 is largely unknown, as there have been few studies. We performed an environmental sampling study for 13 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients and found extensive contamination of patients’ surroundings. In particular, we found that asymptomatic COVID-19 patients contaminated their surroundings and therefore imposed risks for other people. Environment cleaning should be emphasized in negative-pressure rooms. The findings may be useful to guide infection control practice to protect health care workers. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T04:27:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-33bf991eac0c409c81e3edb20e6fd585 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2379-5042 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T04:27:44Z |
| publishDate | 2020-06-01 |
| publisher | American Society for Microbiology |
| record_format | Article |
| series | mSphere |
| spelling | doaj.art-33bf991eac0c409c81e3edb20e6fd5852022-12-21T19:53:27ZengAmerican Society for MicrobiologymSphere2379-50422020-06-015310.1128/mSphere.00442-20Asymptomatic COVID-19 Patients Can Contaminate Their Surroundings: an Environment Sampling StudyLi Wei0Ji Lin1Xiaofei Duan2Wenzhi Huang3Xiaojun Lu4Juan Zhou5Zhiyong Zong6Department of Infection Control, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, ChinaDepartment of Infection Control, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, ChinaDepartment of Infection Control, Chengdu Public Health Clinical Medical Center, Chengdu, ChinaDepartment of Infection Control, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, ChinaDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, ChinaDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, ChinaDepartment of Infection Control, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, ChinaABSTRACT The contamination of patients’ surroundings by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) remains understudied. We sampled the surroundings and the air of six negative-pressure non-intensive care unit (non-ICU) rooms in a designated isolation ward in Chengdu, China, that were occupied by 13 laboratory-confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients who had returned from overseas travel, including 2 asymptomatic patients. A total of 44 of 112 (39.3%) surface samples were positive for SARS-CoV-2 as detected by real-time PCR, suggesting extensive contamination, although all of the air samples were negative. In particular, in a single room occupied by an asymptomatic patient, four sites were SARS-CoV-2 positive, highlighting that asymptomatic COVID-19 patients do contaminate their surroundings and impose risks for others with close contact. Placement of COVID-19 patients in rooms with negative pressure may bring a false feeling of safety, and the importance of rigorous environment cleaning should be emphasized. IMPORTANCE Although it has been well recognized that the virus SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, can be acquired by exposure to fomites, surprisingly, the contamination of patients’ surroundings by SARS-CoV-2 is largely unknown, as there have been few studies. We performed an environmental sampling study for 13 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients and found extensive contamination of patients’ surroundings. In particular, we found that asymptomatic COVID-19 patients contaminated their surroundings and therefore imposed risks for other people. Environment cleaning should be emphasized in negative-pressure rooms. The findings may be useful to guide infection control practice to protect health care workers.https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/mSphere.00442-20COVID-19SARS-CoV-2environmental contamination |
| spellingShingle | Li Wei Ji Lin Xiaofei Duan Wenzhi Huang Xiaojun Lu Juan Zhou Zhiyong Zong Asymptomatic COVID-19 Patients Can Contaminate Their Surroundings: an Environment Sampling Study mSphere COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 environmental contamination |
| title | Asymptomatic COVID-19 Patients Can Contaminate Their Surroundings: an Environment Sampling Study |
| title_full | Asymptomatic COVID-19 Patients Can Contaminate Their Surroundings: an Environment Sampling Study |
| title_fullStr | Asymptomatic COVID-19 Patients Can Contaminate Their Surroundings: an Environment Sampling Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Asymptomatic COVID-19 Patients Can Contaminate Their Surroundings: an Environment Sampling Study |
| title_short | Asymptomatic COVID-19 Patients Can Contaminate Their Surroundings: an Environment Sampling Study |
| title_sort | asymptomatic covid 19 patients can contaminate their surroundings an environment sampling study |
| topic | COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 environmental contamination |
| url | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/mSphere.00442-20 |
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