Inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 by Simulated Sunlight on Contaminated Surfaces
ABSTRACT We studied the stability of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) under different simulated outdoor conditions by changing the temperature (20°C and 35°C), the illuminance (darkness, 10 klx, and 56 klx), and/or the cleanness of the surfaces at 50% relative humidity (R...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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American Society for Microbiology
2021-09-01
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| Series: | Microbiology Spectrum |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/Spectrum.00333-21 |
| _version_ | 1818941185428815872 |
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| author | Jérémy Raiteux Marine Eschlimann Audrey Marangon Sophie Rogée Maylis Dadvisard Laurent Taysse Guilhem Larigauderie |
| author_facet | Jérémy Raiteux Marine Eschlimann Audrey Marangon Sophie Rogée Maylis Dadvisard Laurent Taysse Guilhem Larigauderie |
| author_sort | Jérémy Raiteux |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT We studied the stability of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) under different simulated outdoor conditions by changing the temperature (20°C and 35°C), the illuminance (darkness, 10 klx, and 56 klx), and/or the cleanness of the surfaces at 50% relative humidity (RH). In darkness, the loss of viability of the virus on stainless steel is temperature dependent, but this is hidden by the effect of the sunlight from the first minutes of exposure. The virus shows a sensitivity to sunlight proportional to the illuminance intensity of the sunlight. The presence of interfering substances has a moderate effect on virus viability even with an elevated illuminance. Thus, SARS-CoV-2 is rapidly inactivated by simulated sunlight in the presence or absence of high levels of interfering substances at 20°C or 35°C and 50% relative humidity. IMPORTANCE Clinical matrix contains high levels of interfering substances. This study is the first to reveal that the presence of high levels of interfering substances had little impact on the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 on stainless steel following exposure to simulated sunlight. Thus, SARS-CoV-2 should be rapidly inactivated in outdoor environments in the presence or absence of interfering substances. Our results indicate that transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is unlikely to occur through outdoor surfaces, dependent on illuminance intensity. Moreover, most studies are interested in lineage S of SARS-CoV-2. In our experiments, we studied the stability of L-type strains, which comprise the majority of strains isolated from worldwide patients. Nevertheless, the effect of sunlight seems to be similar regardless of the strain studied, suggesting that the greater spread of certain variants is not correlated with better survival in outdoor conditions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T06:51:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5296c526d2094c0196aabf391503bc1b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2165-0497 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T06:51:31Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | American Society for Microbiology |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Microbiology Spectrum |
| spelling | doaj.art-5296c526d2094c0196aabf391503bc1b2022-12-21T19:49:31ZengAmerican Society for MicrobiologyMicrobiology Spectrum2165-04972021-09-019110.1128/Spectrum.00333-21Inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 by Simulated Sunlight on Contaminated SurfacesJérémy Raiteux0Marine Eschlimann1Audrey Marangon2Sophie Rogée3Maylis Dadvisard4Laurent Taysse5Guilhem Larigauderie6DGA CBRN Defence Center, Vert-le-Petit, FranceDGA CBRN Defence Center, Vert-le-Petit, FranceDGA CBRN Defence Center, Vert-le-Petit, FranceDGA CBRN Defence Center, Vert-le-Petit, FranceDGA CBRN Defence Center, Vert-le-Petit, FranceDGA CBRN Defence Center, Vert-le-Petit, FranceDGA CBRN Defence Center, Vert-le-Petit, FranceABSTRACT We studied the stability of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) under different simulated outdoor conditions by changing the temperature (20°C and 35°C), the illuminance (darkness, 10 klx, and 56 klx), and/or the cleanness of the surfaces at 50% relative humidity (RH). In darkness, the loss of viability of the virus on stainless steel is temperature dependent, but this is hidden by the effect of the sunlight from the first minutes of exposure. The virus shows a sensitivity to sunlight proportional to the illuminance intensity of the sunlight. The presence of interfering substances has a moderate effect on virus viability even with an elevated illuminance. Thus, SARS-CoV-2 is rapidly inactivated by simulated sunlight in the presence or absence of high levels of interfering substances at 20°C or 35°C and 50% relative humidity. IMPORTANCE Clinical matrix contains high levels of interfering substances. This study is the first to reveal that the presence of high levels of interfering substances had little impact on the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 on stainless steel following exposure to simulated sunlight. Thus, SARS-CoV-2 should be rapidly inactivated in outdoor environments in the presence or absence of interfering substances. Our results indicate that transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is unlikely to occur through outdoor surfaces, dependent on illuminance intensity. Moreover, most studies are interested in lineage S of SARS-CoV-2. In our experiments, we studied the stability of L-type strains, which comprise the majority of strains isolated from worldwide patients. Nevertheless, the effect of sunlight seems to be similar regardless of the strain studied, suggesting that the greater spread of certain variants is not correlated with better survival in outdoor conditions.https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/Spectrum.00333-21emerging diseaseSARS-CoV-2environmental survivalinactivationinterfering substancesstainless steel |
| spellingShingle | Jérémy Raiteux Marine Eschlimann Audrey Marangon Sophie Rogée Maylis Dadvisard Laurent Taysse Guilhem Larigauderie Inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 by Simulated Sunlight on Contaminated Surfaces Microbiology Spectrum emerging disease SARS-CoV-2 environmental survival inactivation interfering substances stainless steel |
| title | Inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 by Simulated Sunlight on Contaminated Surfaces |
| title_full | Inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 by Simulated Sunlight on Contaminated Surfaces |
| title_fullStr | Inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 by Simulated Sunlight on Contaminated Surfaces |
| title_full_unstemmed | Inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 by Simulated Sunlight on Contaminated Surfaces |
| title_short | Inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 by Simulated Sunlight on Contaminated Surfaces |
| title_sort | inactivation of sars cov 2 by simulated sunlight on contaminated surfaces |
| topic | emerging disease SARS-CoV-2 environmental survival inactivation interfering substances stainless steel |
| url | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/Spectrum.00333-21 |
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