SARS-CoV-2 in Environmental Samples of Quarantined Households
The role of environmental transmission of SARS-CoV-2 remains unclear. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate whether viral contamination of air, wastewater, and surfaces in quarantined households result in a higher risk for exposed persons. For this study, a source population of 21 household...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-05-01
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| Series: | Viruses |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/14/5/1075 |
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| author | Manuel Döhla Bianca Schulte Gero Wilbring Beate Mareike Kümmerer Christin Döhla Esther Sib Enrico Richter Patrick Frank Ottensmeyer Alexandra Haag Steffen Engelhart Anna Maria Eis-Hübinger Martin Exner Nico Tom Mutters Ricarda Maria Schmithausen Hendrik Streeck |
| author_facet | Manuel Döhla Bianca Schulte Gero Wilbring Beate Mareike Kümmerer Christin Döhla Esther Sib Enrico Richter Patrick Frank Ottensmeyer Alexandra Haag Steffen Engelhart Anna Maria Eis-Hübinger Martin Exner Nico Tom Mutters Ricarda Maria Schmithausen Hendrik Streeck |
| author_sort | Manuel Döhla |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The role of environmental transmission of SARS-CoV-2 remains unclear. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate whether viral contamination of air, wastewater, and surfaces in quarantined households result in a higher risk for exposed persons. For this study, a source population of 21 households under quarantine conditions with at least one person who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA were randomly selected from a community in North Rhine-Westphalia in March 2020. All individuals living in these households participated in this study and provided throat swabs for analysis. Air and wastewater samples and surface swabs were obtained from each household and analysed using qRT-PCR. Positive swabs were further cultured to analyse for viral infectivity. Out of all the 43 tested adults, 26 (60.47%) tested positive using qRT-PCR. All 15 air samples were qRT-PCR-negative. In total, 10 out of 66 wastewater samples were positive for SARS-CoV-2 (15.15%) and 4 out of 119 surface samples (3.36%). No statistically significant correlation between qRT-PCR-positive environmental samples and the extent of the spread of infection between household members was observed. No infectious virus could be propagated under cell culture conditions. Taken together, our study demonstrates a low likelihood of transmission via surfaces. However, to definitively assess the importance of hygienic behavioural measures in the reduction of SARS-CoV-2 transmission, larger studies should be designed to determine the proportionate contribution of smear vs. droplet transmission. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T01:36:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c7848c7f0fe140d78521ae4d613d035e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4915 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T01:36:49Z |
| publishDate | 2022-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Viruses |
| spelling | doaj.art-c7848c7f0fe140d78521ae4d613d035e2023-11-23T13:32:54ZengMDPI AGViruses1999-49152022-05-01145107510.3390/v14051075SARS-CoV-2 in Environmental Samples of Quarantined HouseholdsManuel Döhla0Bianca Schulte1Gero Wilbring2Beate Mareike Kümmerer3Christin Döhla4Esther Sib5Enrico Richter6Patrick Frank Ottensmeyer7Alexandra Haag8Steffen Engelhart9Anna Maria Eis-Hübinger10Martin Exner11Nico Tom Mutters12Ricarda Maria Schmithausen13Hendrik Streeck14Institute for Hygiene and Public Health, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127 Bonn, GermanyInstitute of Virology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127 Bonn, GermanyInstitute for Hygiene and Public Health, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127 Bonn, GermanyInstitute of Virology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127 Bonn, GermanyInstitute for Hygiene and Public Health, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127 Bonn, GermanyInstitute for Hygiene and Public Health, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127 Bonn, GermanyInstitute of Virology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127 Bonn, GermanyInstitute of Virology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127 Bonn, GermanyInstitute for Hygiene and Public Health, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127 Bonn, GermanyInstitute for Hygiene and Public Health, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127 Bonn, GermanyInstitute of Virology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127 Bonn, GermanyInstitute for Hygiene and Public Health, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127 Bonn, GermanyInstitute for Hygiene and Public Health, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127 Bonn, GermanyInstitute for Hygiene and Public Health, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127 Bonn, GermanyInstitute of Virology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127 Bonn, GermanyThe role of environmental transmission of SARS-CoV-2 remains unclear. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate whether viral contamination of air, wastewater, and surfaces in quarantined households result in a higher risk for exposed persons. For this study, a source population of 21 households under quarantine conditions with at least one person who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA were randomly selected from a community in North Rhine-Westphalia in March 2020. All individuals living in these households participated in this study and provided throat swabs for analysis. Air and wastewater samples and surface swabs were obtained from each household and analysed using qRT-PCR. Positive swabs were further cultured to analyse for viral infectivity. Out of all the 43 tested adults, 26 (60.47%) tested positive using qRT-PCR. All 15 air samples were qRT-PCR-negative. In total, 10 out of 66 wastewater samples were positive for SARS-CoV-2 (15.15%) and 4 out of 119 surface samples (3.36%). No statistically significant correlation between qRT-PCR-positive environmental samples and the extent of the spread of infection between household members was observed. No infectious virus could be propagated under cell culture conditions. Taken together, our study demonstrates a low likelihood of transmission via surfaces. However, to definitively assess the importance of hygienic behavioural measures in the reduction of SARS-CoV-2 transmission, larger studies should be designed to determine the proportionate contribution of smear vs. droplet transmission.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/14/5/1075SARS-CoV-2COVID-19smear infectionenvironmentquarantineairborne transmission |
| spellingShingle | Manuel Döhla Bianca Schulte Gero Wilbring Beate Mareike Kümmerer Christin Döhla Esther Sib Enrico Richter Patrick Frank Ottensmeyer Alexandra Haag Steffen Engelhart Anna Maria Eis-Hübinger Martin Exner Nico Tom Mutters Ricarda Maria Schmithausen Hendrik Streeck SARS-CoV-2 in Environmental Samples of Quarantined Households Viruses SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 smear infection environment quarantine airborne transmission |
| title | SARS-CoV-2 in Environmental Samples of Quarantined Households |
| title_full | SARS-CoV-2 in Environmental Samples of Quarantined Households |
| title_fullStr | SARS-CoV-2 in Environmental Samples of Quarantined Households |
| title_full_unstemmed | SARS-CoV-2 in Environmental Samples of Quarantined Households |
| title_short | SARS-CoV-2 in Environmental Samples of Quarantined Households |
| title_sort | sars cov 2 in environmental samples of quarantined households |
| topic | SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 smear infection environment quarantine airborne transmission |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/14/5/1075 |
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