December 14, 2020

Environmental Monitoring Shows SARS-CoV-2 Contamination of Surfaces in Food Plants

Category: Article Summary

Topic: Transmission

Keywords (Tags): transmission

[Preprint, not peer-reviewed] In a study collecting 22,643 surface samples from 116 food processing facilities in the US from Mar 17 to Sep 3, 2020, 1.2% of the total samples tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by PCR. 62 (53%) facilities had at least one sample positive for SARS-CoV-2. Among the positive samples, 33% were found on doorknobs/handles. The authors suggest that environmental surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 may aid in identifying workplaces with SARS-CoV-2 transmission. 

Ming et al. (Dec 11, 2020). Environmental Monitoring Shows SARS-CoV-2 Contamination of Surfaces in Food Plants. Pre-print downloaded Dec 14 from https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.12.10.20247171