Low incidence of airborne SARS-CoV-2 in acute care hospital rooms with optimized ventilation.

ABSTRACT: The worldwide repercussions of COVID-19 sparked important research efforts, yet the detailed contribution of aerosols in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 has not been elucidated. In an attempt to quantify viral aerosols in the environment of infected patients, we collected 100 air samples in acute care hospital rooms hosting 22 patients over the course of nearly two months using three different air sampling protocols. Quantification by RT-qPCR (ORF1b) led to 11 positive samples from 6 patient rooms (C_t < 40). Viral cultures were negative. No correlation was observed between particular symptoms, length of hospital stay, clinical parameters, and time since symptom onset and the detection of airborne viral RNA. Low detection rates in the hospital rooms may be attributable to t

SUBMITTER: Dumont-Leblond N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7734095 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature