Aerosol and Surface Distribution of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 in Hospital Wards, Wuhan, China, 2020.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional environmental surveillance study without clinical outcome comparison
PubMed 32275497 · doi:10.3201/eid2607.200885
What was done
Air and surface samples were collected and tested for SARS-CoV-2 distribution across intensive care units (ICUs) and general hospital wards in Wuhan, China during 2020.
What was found
Contamination was greater in ICUs than in general wards. Viral presence was widely distributed across environmental surfaces including floors, computer mice, trash cans, and sickbed handrails. Viral RNA was detected in air samples up to approximately 4 meters (≈4 m) away from patients. The abstract does not report specific sample counts, positivity percentages, or cycle threshold/quantitative values.
Why it matters
This study provided early evidence of widespread surface deposition and potential aerosol dispersion of SARS-CoV-2 up to 4 meters within hospital ward settings.
Limits
The abstract does not state the number of samples collected, the number of patients present, the specific detection assay used, or whether detected viral RNA represented viable, culturable infectious virus.
Cited by
- context Air sampling studies in Chinese hospital wards with COVID-19 patients found almost undetectable levels of SARS-CoV-2 in the air, but detected viral material on air conditioning grates and filters.