Confirms that generated aerosols from positive patients can lead to transmission of the virus. Additionally, the distance at which they captured virus is concerning as it is greater than the now recommended six feet.
Not only did they detect virus via qRT-PCR in these air samples, but were able to demonstrate that the virus collected in the air samples could infect cell cultures in vitro. This had been a critical experiment that was missing from other studies looking at potential of aerosol transmission.
From the University of Florida:
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.08.03.20167395v1.full.pdf
I had heard about some of this air sampling they were planning on doing before I left. Its pretty cool tech. Their idea was to sample the air in different parts of the hospital each night and particularly in OR rooms to determine if specific areas needed to be closed down and undergo deep cleaning as a way to keep parts of the hospital open for regular service while still treating COVID-19 patients in other parts.
Not only did they detect virus via qRT-PCR in these air samples, but were able to demonstrate that the virus collected in the air samples could infect cell cultures in vitro. This had been a critical experiment that was missing from other studies looking at potential of aerosol transmission.
From the University of Florida:
Quote:
Methods: Air samples were collected in the room of two COVID-19 patients, one of whom had an active respiratory infection with a nasopharyngeal (NP) swab positive for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-qPCR. By using VIVAS air samplers that operate on a gentle water-vapor condensation principle, material was collected from room air and subjected to RT-qPCR and virus culture. The genomes of the SARS-CoV-2 collected from the air and of virus isolated in cell culture from air sampling and from a NP swab from a newly admitted patient in the room were sequenced.
Findings: Viable virus was isolated from air samples collected 2 to 4.8m away from the patients. The genome sequence of the SARS-CoV-2 strain isolated from the material collected by the air samplers was identical to that isolated from the NP swab from the patient with an active infection. Estimates of viable viral concentrations ranged from 6 to 74 TCID50 units/L of air.
Interpretation: Patients with respiratory manifestations of COVID-19 produce aerosols in the absence of aerosol-generating procedures that contain viable SARS-CoV-2, and these aerosols may serve as a source of transmission of the virus.
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.08.03.20167395v1.full.pdf
I had heard about some of this air sampling they were planning on doing before I left. Its pretty cool tech. Their idea was to sample the air in different parts of the hospital each night and particularly in OR rooms to determine if specific areas needed to be closed down and undergo deep cleaning as a way to keep parts of the hospital open for regular service while still treating COVID-19 patients in other parts.