Highlights
- •SARS-CoV-2 was detected from various surfaces surrounding COVID-19 patients.
- •Extensive viral contamination was found especially around an intubated patient.
- •Therefore, strict contact precaution is needed in managing COVID-19 patients.
Objectives
Although contact precaution is generally recommended in situations where coronavirus
disease 2019 (COVID-19) is suspected, there is limited evidence on environmental contamination
of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Therefore, we conducted
environmental surveillance on SARS-CoV-2 contamination in 2 different healthcare settings.
Methods
Viral contamination was investigated on the environment of 2 hospitals that had admitted
13 COVID-19 patients. In hospital A, 5 patients with pneumonia occupied negative pressure
rooms. In hospital B, 8 asymptomatic patients shared 2 common 4-bed rooms. Most rooms
were poorly cleaned or disinfected. Environmental swab were collected from inside
and outside the rooms and were tested using real-time RT-PCR for the detection of
SARS-CoV-2.
Results
In hospital A, SARS-CoV-2 was detected in 10 of 57 (17.5%) samples from inside the
rooms including the Ambu bag and infusion pump. Two samples obtained at more than
2 m from the patients showed positive results. In hospital B, 3 of 22 (13.6%) samples
from inside the rooms were positive. Areas outside the rooms, such as the anteroom,
corridor, and nursing station, were all negative in both hospitals.
Conclusions
Hospital surfaces surrounding patients were contaminated by SARS-CoV-2. Our findings
support the value of strict contact precaution, routine cleaning, and disinfection
in the management of COVID-19 patients.
Key Words
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Article Info
Publication History
Published online: May 29, 2020
Footnotes
Conflicts of interest: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
Funding: No external funding was received.
Identification
Copyright
© 2020 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
