Probable Aerosol Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 through Floors and Walls of Quarantine Hotel, Taiwan, 2021
We investigated a cluster of SARS-CoV-2 infections in a quarantine hotel in Taiwan in December 2021. The cluster involved 3 case patients who lived in nonadjacent rooms on different floors. They had no direct contact during their stay. By direct exploration of the space above the room ceilings, we...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Emerging Infectious Diseases |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/28/12/22-0666_article |
| _version_ | 1811179410852675584 |
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| author | Hsin-Yi Wei Cheng-Ping Chang Ming-Tsan Liu Jung-Jung Mu Yu-Ju Lin Yu-Tung Dai Chia-ping Su |
| author_facet | Hsin-Yi Wei Cheng-Ping Chang Ming-Tsan Liu Jung-Jung Mu Yu-Ju Lin Yu-Tung Dai Chia-ping Su |
| author_sort | Hsin-Yi Wei |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
We investigated a cluster of SARS-CoV-2 infections in a quarantine hotel in Taiwan in December 2021. The cluster involved 3 case patients who lived in nonadjacent rooms on different floors. They had no direct contact during their stay. By direct exploration of the space above the room ceilings, we found residual tunnels, wall defects, and truncated pipes between their rooms. We conducted a simplified tracer-gas experiment to assess the interconnection between rooms. Aerosol transmission through structural defects in floors and walls in this poorly ventilated hotel was the most likely route of virus transmission. This event demonstrates the high transmissibility of Omicron variants, even across rooms and floors, through structural defects. Our findings emphasize the importance of ventilation and integrity of building structure in quarantine facilities.
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| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T06:35:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a785a805f3c34a708191136887a6e2f0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1080-6040 1080-6059 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T06:35:07Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Emerging Infectious Diseases |
| spelling | doaj.art-a785a805f3c34a708191136887a6e2f02022-12-22T04:39:52ZengCenters for Disease Control and PreventionEmerging Infectious Diseases1080-60401080-60592022-12-0128122374238210.3201/eid2812.220666Probable Aerosol Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 through Floors and Walls of Quarantine Hotel, Taiwan, 2021Hsin-Yi WeiCheng-Ping ChangMing-Tsan LiuJung-Jung MuYu-Ju LinYu-Tung DaiChia-ping Su We investigated a cluster of SARS-CoV-2 infections in a quarantine hotel in Taiwan in December 2021. The cluster involved 3 case patients who lived in nonadjacent rooms on different floors. They had no direct contact during their stay. By direct exploration of the space above the room ceilings, we found residual tunnels, wall defects, and truncated pipes between their rooms. We conducted a simplified tracer-gas experiment to assess the interconnection between rooms. Aerosol transmission through structural defects in floors and walls in this poorly ventilated hotel was the most likely route of virus transmission. This event demonstrates the high transmissibility of Omicron variants, even across rooms and floors, through structural defects. Our findings emphasize the importance of ventilation and integrity of building structure in quarantine facilities. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/28/12/22-0666_articleCOVID-19aerosol transmissionquarantine hotelSARS-CoV-2coronavirus diseasesevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 |
| spellingShingle | Hsin-Yi Wei Cheng-Ping Chang Ming-Tsan Liu Jung-Jung Mu Yu-Ju Lin Yu-Tung Dai Chia-ping Su Probable Aerosol Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 through Floors and Walls of Quarantine Hotel, Taiwan, 2021 Emerging Infectious Diseases COVID-19 aerosol transmission quarantine hotel SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus disease severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 |
| title | Probable Aerosol Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 through Floors and Walls of Quarantine Hotel, Taiwan, 2021 |
| title_full | Probable Aerosol Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 through Floors and Walls of Quarantine Hotel, Taiwan, 2021 |
| title_fullStr | Probable Aerosol Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 through Floors and Walls of Quarantine Hotel, Taiwan, 2021 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Probable Aerosol Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 through Floors and Walls of Quarantine Hotel, Taiwan, 2021 |
| title_short | Probable Aerosol Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 through Floors and Walls of Quarantine Hotel, Taiwan, 2021 |
| title_sort | probable aerosol transmission of sars cov 2 through floors and walls of quarantine hotel taiwan 2021 |
| topic | COVID-19 aerosol transmission quarantine hotel SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus disease severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 |
| url | https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/28/12/22-0666_article |
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