December 17, 2020

SARS-CoV-2 Detected on Environmental Fomites for Both Asymptomatic and Symptomatic COVID-19 Patients

Category: Article Summary

Topic: Transmission

Keywords (Tags): transmission

• SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected on surfaces in the rooms of both symptomatic and asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infected patients in a hospital in Shenzen, China. Among asymptomatic patients, samples from squat toilets showed the highest positivity rate, followed by samples related to mouth or nose contact (e.g. water cup, straw), and then samples from inside masks worn by the patients. A significantly higher proportion of samples were positive from the rooms of patients with higher viral load among patients who were symptomatic, while a similar but nonsignificant relationship was observed among patients who were asymptomatic. All samples collected from surfaces following disinfection with alcohol or chlorine-containing solutions were negative in both symptomatic and asymptomatic groups.

Yang et al. (Dec 16, 2020). SARS-CoV-2 Detected on Environmental Fomites for Both Asymptomatic and Symptomatic COVID-19 Patients. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1164/rccm.202006-2136LE