SARS-CoV-2 in hospital indoor environments is predominantly non-infectious
Abstract Background The ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has spread rapidly worldwide and disease prevention is more important than ever. In the absence of a vaccine, knowledge of the transmission routes and risk areas of infection remain the most important existing tools to prevent further spread. Metho...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2021-06-01
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| Series: | Virology Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12985-021-01556-6 |
| _version_ | 1818928776397979648 |
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| author | Janina Krambrich Dario Akaberi Jiaxin Ling Tove Hoffman Lennart Svensson Marie Hagbom Åke Lundkvist |
| author_facet | Janina Krambrich Dario Akaberi Jiaxin Ling Tove Hoffman Lennart Svensson Marie Hagbom Åke Lundkvist |
| author_sort | Janina Krambrich |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background The ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has spread rapidly worldwide and disease prevention is more important than ever. In the absence of a vaccine, knowledge of the transmission routes and risk areas of infection remain the most important existing tools to prevent further spread. Methods Here we investigated the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the hospital environment at the Uppsala University Hospital Infectious Disease ward by RT-qPCR and determined the infectivity of the detected virus in vitro on Vero E6 cells. Results SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in several areas, although attempts to infect Vero E6 cells with positive samples were unsuccessful. However, RNase A treatment of positive samples prior to RNA extraction did not degrade viral RNA, indicating the presence of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsids or complete virus particles protecting the RNA as opposed to free viral RNA. Conclusion Our results show that even in places where a moderate concentration (Ct values between 30 and 38) of SARS-CoV-2 RNA was found; no infectious virus could be detected. This suggests that the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the hospital environment subsides in two states; as infectious and as non-infectious. Future work should investigate the reasons for the non-infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 virions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T03:34:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e30c1802944640b6863a793f56244a2a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1743-422X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T03:34:17Z |
| publishDate | 2021-06-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Virology Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-e30c1802944640b6863a793f56244a2a2022-12-21T19:54:55ZengBMCVirology Journal1743-422X2021-06-011811910.1186/s12985-021-01556-6SARS-CoV-2 in hospital indoor environments is predominantly non-infectiousJanina Krambrich0Dario Akaberi1Jiaxin Ling2Tove Hoffman3Lennart Svensson4Marie Hagbom5Åke Lundkvist6Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Zoonosis Science Center, Uppsala UniversityDepartment of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Zoonosis Science Center, Uppsala UniversityDepartment of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Zoonosis Science Center, Uppsala UniversityDepartment of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Zoonosis Science Center, Uppsala UniversityDivision of Molecular Medicine and Virology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Medical Faculty, University of LinköpingDivision of Molecular Medicine and Virology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Medical Faculty, University of LinköpingDepartment of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Zoonosis Science Center, Uppsala UniversityAbstract Background The ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has spread rapidly worldwide and disease prevention is more important than ever. In the absence of a vaccine, knowledge of the transmission routes and risk areas of infection remain the most important existing tools to prevent further spread. Methods Here we investigated the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the hospital environment at the Uppsala University Hospital Infectious Disease ward by RT-qPCR and determined the infectivity of the detected virus in vitro on Vero E6 cells. Results SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in several areas, although attempts to infect Vero E6 cells with positive samples were unsuccessful. However, RNase A treatment of positive samples prior to RNA extraction did not degrade viral RNA, indicating the presence of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsids or complete virus particles protecting the RNA as opposed to free viral RNA. Conclusion Our results show that even in places where a moderate concentration (Ct values between 30 and 38) of SARS-CoV-2 RNA was found; no infectious virus could be detected. This suggests that the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the hospital environment subsides in two states; as infectious and as non-infectious. Future work should investigate the reasons for the non-infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 virions.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12985-021-01556-6SARS-CoV-2COVID-19RNase AEnvironmental samplingIn vitro infectionViral infectivity |
| spellingShingle | Janina Krambrich Dario Akaberi Jiaxin Ling Tove Hoffman Lennart Svensson Marie Hagbom Åke Lundkvist SARS-CoV-2 in hospital indoor environments is predominantly non-infectious Virology Journal SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 RNase A Environmental sampling In vitro infection Viral infectivity |
| title | SARS-CoV-2 in hospital indoor environments is predominantly non-infectious |
| title_full | SARS-CoV-2 in hospital indoor environments is predominantly non-infectious |
| title_fullStr | SARS-CoV-2 in hospital indoor environments is predominantly non-infectious |
| title_full_unstemmed | SARS-CoV-2 in hospital indoor environments is predominantly non-infectious |
| title_short | SARS-CoV-2 in hospital indoor environments is predominantly non-infectious |
| title_sort | sars cov 2 in hospital indoor environments is predominantly non infectious |
| topic | SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 RNase A Environmental sampling In vitro infection Viral infectivity |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12985-021-01556-6 |
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