Comprehensive Analyses of SARS-CoV-2 Transmission in a Public Health Virology Laboratory.

ABSTRACT: SARS-CoV-2 has become a major global concern as of December 2019, particularly affecting healthcare workers. As person-to-person transmission is airborne, crowded closed spaces have high potential for rapid virus spread, especially early in the pandemic when social distancing and mask wearing were not mandatory. This retrospective study thoroughly investigates a small-scale SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in Israel's central virology laboratory (ICVL) in mid-March 2020, in which six staff members and two related family members were infected. Suspicions regarding infection by contaminated surfaces in ICVL facilities were nullified by SARS-CoV-2 negative real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of work surfaces swipe tests. Complete SARS-CoV-2 genomes were sequenced and mutation analyses showed inclusi

SUBMITTER: Zuckerman NS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7472171 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature