Detection of air and surface contamination by SARS-CoV-2 in hospital rooms of infected patients

Abstract Understanding the particle size distribution in the air and patterns of environmental contamination of SARS-CoV-2 is essential for infection prevention policies. Here we screen surface and air samples from hospital rooms of COVID-19 patients for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Environmental sampling is conducted in three airborne infection isolation rooms (AIIRs) in the ICU and 27 AIIRs in the general ward. 245 surface samples are collected. 56.7% of rooms have at least one environmental surface contaminated. High touch surface contamination is shown in ten (66.7%) out of 15 patients in the first week of illness, and three (20%) beyond the first week of illness ( p = 0.01, χ 2 test). Air sampling is performed in…

• NU
  National University of Singapore
• NM
  National Medical Research Council

  Awards: COVID19RF-001, NMRC Clinician Scientist Award (MOH-000276), NMRC/Fellowship/0056/2018, NMRC CS-IRG (CIRG18Nov-0034), NMRC Research Training Fellowship (NMRC/Fellowship/0056/2018), MOH-000276
• NI
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health