Levels and particle size distribution of airborne SARS-CoV-2 at a healthcare facility in Kuwait

ABSTRACT: The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic spread rapidly despite extraordinary screening and social distancing measures. Such rapid spread was due in part to the fact that the disease transmission, particularly via airborne spread, is poorly understood. Characterizing the airborne size distribution of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is essential to understanding the risk of airborne transmission. We collected size-fractionated (≤2.5, 2.5–10, and ≥10 μm) samples using a cascade impactor at more than 30 locations inside and outside Jaber Hospital and the nearby Temporary Quarantine Facility in Kuwait from April to July 2020. We hypothesized that airborne SARS-CoV-2 would be present in all size fractions, including fine particles, and in a size distribution

SUBMITTER: Stern R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8003456 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature