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Isin RB, Gumus D, Kizil M. Variations in Food Safety Concerns, Hygiene Practices, and Purchasing Behaviors During Pandemic Era: What We Learnt from Coronavirus Disease 2019. Foodborne Pathog Dis 2024. [PMID: 38517739 DOI: 10.1089/fpd.2023.0143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The purpose of the study is to evaluate the food safety concerns, purchasing behaviors, and hygiene practices of individuals who contracted and did not contract the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) infection. A total of 2393 individuals 18-65 years years of age, 760 who contracted and 1633 who did not contract SARS-CoV-2 infection, participated in the study. Participants were administered a questionnaire to assess demographic information, food safety concerns, hygiene practices, purchasing behavior, and fear of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Results indicated that 56.3% of participants expressed concern about food safety, and 67% were concerned about infected individuals while shopping. Participants who did not contract COVID-19 had higher levels of food safety concerns and generally adhered to better hygiene practices such as handwashing, hygienic food preparation, sanitizer use, and cleaning and disinfection practices (p < 0.05). Overall, purchasing behaviors did not significantly differ by the infection status, except for a significant difference in reduced purchase frequency (p < 0.001). In addition, purchasing behavior varied in relation to fear levels (p < 0.05). As the pandemic appears to be increasingly controlled, the insights gained from managing outbreaks might contribute to improved understanding and preparedness for global pandemics and food safety education in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rabia Busra Isin
- Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, Muğla, Turkey
| | - Damla Gumus
- Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Mevlude Kizil
- Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
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2
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Nederlof RA, de la Garza MA, Bakker J. Perspectives on SARS-CoV-2 Cases in Zoological Institutions. Vet Sci 2024; 11:78. [PMID: 38393096 PMCID: PMC10893009 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci11020078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2024] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections in a zoological institution were initially reported in March 2020. Since then, at least 94 peer-reviewed cases have been reported in zoos worldwide. Among the affected animals, nonhuman primates, carnivores, and artiodactyls appear to be most susceptible to infection, with the Felidae family accounting for the largest number of reported cases. Clinical symptoms tend to be mild across taxa; although, certain species exhibit increased susceptibility to disease. A variety of diagnostic tools are available, allowing for initial diagnostics and for the monitoring of infectious risk. Whilst supportive therapy proves sufficient in most cases, monoclonal antibody therapy has emerged as a promising additional treatment option. Effective transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in some species raises concerns over potential spillover and the formation of reservoirs. The occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 in a variety of animal species may contribute to the emergence of variants of concern due to altered viral evolutionary constraints. Consequently, this review emphasizes the need for effective biosecurity measures and surveillance strategies to prevent and control SARS-CoV-2 infections in zoological institutions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Melissa A. de la Garza
- Michale E. Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, TX 78602, USA
| | - Jaco Bakker
- Biomedical Primate Research Centre, 2288 GJ Rijswijk, The Netherlands
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3
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Weber DJ, Rutala WA, Sickbert-Bennett E. Emerging infectious diseases, focus on infection prevention, environmental survival and germicide susceptibility: SARS-CoV-2, Mpox, and Candida auris. Am J Infect Control 2023; 51:A22-A34. [PMID: 37890950 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajic.2023.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND New and emerging infectious diseases continue to represent a public health threat. Emerging infectious disease threats include pathogens increasing in range (eg, Mpox), zoonotic microbes jumping species lines to cause sustained infections in humans via person-to-person transmission (SARS-CoV-2) and multidrug-resistant pathogens (eg, Candida auris). MATERIALS AND METHODS We searched the published English literature and reviewed the selected articles on SARS-CoV-2, Mpox, and Candida auris with a focus on environmental survival, contamination of the patient's hospital environment, susceptibility of the pathogen to antiseptics and disinfectants and infection prevention recommendations. RESULTS All three pathogens (ie, SARS-CoV-2, Mpox, and Candida auris) can survive on surfaces for minutes to hours and for Mpox and C auris for days. Currently available antiseptics (eg, 70%-90% alcohol hand hygiene products) are active against SARS-CoV-2, Mpox and C auris. The U.S Environmental Protection Agency provides separate lists of surface disinfectants active against SARS-CoV-2, Mpox, and C auris. DISCUSSION The risk of environment-to-patient transmission of SARS-CoV-2, Mpox and Candida auris, is very low, low-moderate and high, respectively. In the absence of appropriate patient isolation and use of personal protection equipment, the risk of patient-to-health care provider transmission of SARS-CoV-2, Mpox, and C auris is high, moderate and low, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Appropriate patient isolation, use of personal protective equipment by health care personnel, hand hygiene, and surface disinfection can protect patients and health care personnel from acquiring SARS-CoV-2, Mpox, and C auris from infected patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Weber
- Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC; Department of Infection Prevention, UNC Medical Center, Chapel Hill, NC; Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC.
| | - William A Rutala
- Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Emily Sickbert-Bennett
- Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC; Department of Infection Prevention, UNC Medical Center, Chapel Hill, NC; Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
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Pillai A, Nayak A, Tiwari D, Pillai PK, Pandita A, Sakharkar S, Balasubramanian H, Kabra N. COVID-19 Disease in Under-5 Children: Current Status and Strategies for Prevention including Vaccination. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:693. [PMID: 36992278 PMCID: PMC10058749 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11030693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Since the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic hit the globe in early 2020, we have steadily gained insight into its pathogenesis; thereby improving surveillance and preventive measures. In contrast to other respiratory viruses, neonates and young children infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) have a milder clinical presentation, with only a small proportion needing hospitalization and intensive care support. With the emergence of novel variants and improved testing services, there has been a higher incidence of COVID-19 disease reported among children and neonates. Despite this, the proportion of young children with severe disease has not increased. Key mechanisms that protect young children from severe COVID-19 disease include the placental barrier, differential expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE-2) receptors, immature immune response, and passive transfer of antibodies via placenta and human milk. Implementing mass vaccination programs has been a major milestone in reducing the global disease burden. However, considering the lower risk of severe COVID-19 illness in young children and the limited evidence about long-term vaccine safety, the risk-benefit balance in children under five years of age is more complex. In this review, we do not support or undermine vaccination of young children but outline current evidence and guidelines, and highlight controversies, knowledge gaps, and ethical issues related to COVID-19 vaccination in young children. Regulatory bodies should consider the individual and community benefits of vaccinating younger children in their local epidemiological setting while planning regional immunization policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anish Pillai
- Surya Hospitals, Mangal Ashirwad Building, Swami Vivekananda Road, Santacruz West, Mumbai 400054, Maharashtra, India
- British Columbia Children’s Hospital Research Institute, 938 West 28th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Anuja Nayak
- Bai Jerabai Wadia Hospital for Children, Acharya Donde Marg, Parel East, Parel, Mumbai 400012, Maharashtra, India
| | - Deepika Tiwari
- Surya Hospitals, Mangal Ashirwad Building, Swami Vivekananda Road, Santacruz West, Mumbai 400054, Maharashtra, India
| | - Pratichi Kadam Pillai
- Surya Hospitals, Mangal Ashirwad Building, Swami Vivekananda Road, Santacruz West, Mumbai 400054, Maharashtra, India
| | - Aakash Pandita
- Medanta Super Specialty Hospital, Sector-A, Pocket-1, Amar Shaheed Path, Golf City, Lucknow 226030, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Sachin Sakharkar
- Surya Hospitals, Mangal Ashirwad Building, Swami Vivekananda Road, Santacruz West, Mumbai 400054, Maharashtra, India
| | | | - Nandkishor Kabra
- Surya Hospitals, Mangal Ashirwad Building, Swami Vivekananda Road, Santacruz West, Mumbai 400054, Maharashtra, India
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Li Y, Lu Y, Wang Y, Liu L, Zhou H, Lin B, Peng Z, Yuan Y. Investigation on the effectiveness of ventilation dilution on mitigating COVID-19 patients' secondary airway damage due to exposure to disinfectants. BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT 2023; 228:109787. [PMID: 36407877 PMCID: PMC9652096 DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2022.109787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Chlorine-containing disinfectants are widely used in hospitals to prevent hospital-acquired severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. Meanwhile, ventilation is a simple but effective means to maintain clean air. It is essential to explore the exposure level and health effects of coronavirus disease 2019 patients' inhalation exposure to by-products of chloride-containing disinfectants under frequent surface disinfection and understand the role of ventilation in mitigating subsequent airway damage. We determined ventilation dilution performance and indoor air quality of two intensive care unit wards of the largest temporary hospital constructed in China, Leishenshan Hospital. The chloride inhalation exposure levels, and health risks indicated by interleukin-6 and D-dimer test results of 32 patients were analysed. The mean ± standard deviation values of the outdoor air change rate in the two intensive care unit wards were 8.8 ± 1.5 h-1 (Intensive care unit 1) and 4.1 ± 1.4 h-1 (Intensive care unit 2). The median carbon dioxide and fine particulate matter concentrations were 480 ppm and 19 μg/m3 for intensive care unit 1, and 567 ppm and 21 μg/m3 for intensive care unit 2, all of which were around the average levels of those in permanent hospitals (579 ppm and 21 μg/m3). Of these patients, the median (lower quartile, upper quartile) chloride exposure time and calculated dose were 26.66 (2.89, 57.21) h and 0.357 (0.008, 1.317) mg, respectively. A statistically significant positive correlation was observed between interleukin-6 and D-dimer concentrations. To conclude, ventilation helped maintain ward air cleanliness and health risks were not observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifan Li
- Department of Building Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Laboratory of Eco-Planning & Green Building, Ministry of Education, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yiran Lu
- Department of Building Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Laboratory of Eco-Planning & Green Building, Ministry of Education, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of Infection Management, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
- Hubei Engineering Center for Infectious Disease Prevention, Control and Treatment, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
| | - Li Liu
- Department of Building Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Laboratory of Eco-Planning & Green Building, Ministry of Education, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Hubei Engineering Center for Infectious Disease Prevention, Control and Treatment, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
| | - Hao Zhou
- Laboratory of Eco-Planning & Green Building, Ministry of Education, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Institute for Urban Governance and Sustainable Development, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Borong Lin
- Department of Building Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Laboratory of Eco-Planning & Green Building, Ministry of Education, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Zhiyong Peng
- Hubei Engineering Center for Infectious Disease Prevention, Control and Treatment, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
| | - Yufeng Yuan
- Hubei Engineering Center for Infectious Disease Prevention, Control and Treatment, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
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Wilson AM, Mussio I, Chilton S, Gerald LB, Jones RM, Drews FA, LaKind JS, Beamer PI. A Novel Application of Risk-Risk Tradeoffs in Occupational Health: Nurses' Occupational Asthma and Infection Risk Perceptions Related to Cleaning and Disinfection during COVID-19. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:16092. [PMID: 36498164 PMCID: PMC9736618 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192316092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nurses face the risk of new onset occupational asthma (OA) due to exposures to cleaning and disinfection (C&D) agents used to prevent infections in healthcare facilities. The objective of this study was to measure nurses' preferences when presented with simultaneous OA and respiratory viral infection (e.g., COVID-19) risks related to increased/decreased C&D activities. METHODS Nurses working in healthcare for ≥1 year and without physician-diagnosed asthma were recruited for an online anonymous survey, including four risk-risk tradeoff scenarios between OA and respiratory infection with subsequent recovery (Infect and Recovery) or subsequent death (Infect and Death). Nurses were presented with baseline risks at hypothetical "Hospital 1", and were asked to choose Hospital 2 (increased OA risk to maintain infection risk), Hospital 3 (increased infection risk to maintain OA risk), or indicate that they were equally happy. RESULTS Over 70% of nurses were willing to increase infection risk to maintain baseline OA risk if they were confident they would recover from the infection. However, even when the risk of infection leading to death was much lower than OA, most nurses were not willing to accept a larger (but still small) risk of death to avoid doubling their OA risk. Age, work experience, and ever having contracted or knowing anyone who has contracted a respiratory viral infection at work influenced choices. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrate the novel application of a risk-risk tradeoff framework to address an occupational health issue. However, more data are needed to test the generalizability of the risk preferences found in this specific risk-risk tradeoff context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda M. Wilson
- Department of Community, Environment & Policy, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, 1295 N. Martin Ave., Tucson, AZ 85724, USA
| | - Irene Mussio
- Business School (Economics), Newcastle University, 5 Barrack Rd., Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4SE, UK
| | - Susan Chilton
- Business School (Economics), Newcastle University, 5 Barrack Rd., Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4SE, UK
| | - Lynn B. Gerald
- Population Health Sciences Program, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Rachael M. Jones
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Frank A. Drews
- Department of Psychology, College of Social & Behavioral Science, University of Utah, 380 1530 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Judy S. LaKind
- LaKind Associates, LLC, 106 Oakdale Ave., Baltimore, MD 21228, USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 655 W. Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Paloma I. Beamer
- Department of Community, Environment & Policy, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, 1295 N. Martin Ave., Tucson, AZ 85724, USA
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7
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Dhabarde N, Khaiboullina S, Uppal T, Adhikari K, Verma SC, Subramanian VR. Inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 and Other Human Coronaviruses Aided by Photocatalytic One-Dimensional Titania Nanotube Films as a Self-Disinfecting Surface. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:50463-50474. [PMID: 36335476 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c03226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 and its variants that continue to emerge have necessitated the implementation of effective disinfection strategies. Developing self-disinfecting surfaces can be a potential route for reducing fomite transmissions of infectious viruses. We show the effectiveness of TiO2 nanotubes (T_NTs) on photocatalytic inactivation of human coronavirus, HCoV-OC43, as well as SARS-CoV-2. T_NTs were synthesized by the anodization process, and their impact on photocatalytic inactivation was evaluated by the detection of residual viral genome copies (quantitative real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) and infectious viruses (infectivity assays). T_NTs with different structural morphologies, wall thicknesses, diameters, and lengths were prepared by varying the time and applied potential during anodization. The virucidal efficacy was tested under different UV-C exposure times to understand the photocatalytic reaction's kinetics. We showed that the T_NT presence boosts the inactivation process and demonstrated complete inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 as well as HCoV-OC43 within 30 s of UV-C illumination. The remarkable cyclic stability of these T_NTs was revealed through a reusability experiment. The spectroscopic and electrochemical analyses have been reported to correlate and quantify the effects of the physical features of T_NT with photoactivity. We anticipate that the proposed one-dimensional T_NT will be applicable for studying the surface inactivation of other coronaviruses including SARS-CoV-2 variants due to similarities in their genomic structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikhil Dhabarde
- Chemical and Materials Engineering Department, University of Nevada, LME 309, MS 388, Reno, Nevada 89557, United States
| | - Svetlana Khaiboullina
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, 1664 N Virginia Street, Reno, Nevada 89557, United States
| | - Timsy Uppal
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, 1664 N Virginia Street, Reno, Nevada 89557, United States
| | - Kabita Adhikari
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, 1664 N Virginia Street, Reno, Nevada 89557, United States
| | - Subhash C Verma
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, 1664 N Virginia Street, Reno, Nevada 89557, United States
| | - Vaidyanathan Ravi Subramanian
- Chemical and Materials Engineering Department, University of Nevada, LME 309, MS 388, Reno, Nevada 89557, United States
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8
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Benedusi M, Tamburini E, Sicurella M, Summa D, Ferrara F, Marconi P, Cervellati F, Costa S, Valacchi G. The Lesson Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic: Can an Active Chemical Be Effective, Safe, Harmless-for-Humans and Low-Cost at a Time? Evidence on Aerosolized Hypochlorous Acid. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:13163. [PMID: 36293740 PMCID: PMC9602504 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192013163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has underlined the importance of disinfectants as tools to prevent and fight against coronavirus spreading. An ideal disinfectant and sanitizer must be nontoxic to surface contact, noncorrosive, effective, and relatively inexpensive as it is hypochlorous acid (HOCl). The present work intended to evaluate, on different surfaces, the bactericidal and virucidal effectiveness of nebulized HOCl and test its safety usage in 2D and 3D skin and lung models. Our data showed that HOCl at the dose of 300 ppm did not affect cellular and tissue viability, not their morphology. The HOCl bactericidal properties varies with the surface analyzed: 69% for semi-porous, 96-99.9% for flat and porous. This discrepancy was not noticed for the virucidal properties. Overall, this study showed that nebulized HOCl can prevent virus and bacteria growth without affecting lung and skin tissues, making this compound a perfect candidate to sanitize indoor environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mascia Benedusi
- Department of Neurosciences and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Elena Tamburini
- Department of Environmental and Prevention Sciences, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Mariaconcetta Sicurella
- Department of Environmental and Prevention Sciences, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Daniela Summa
- Department of Environmental and Prevention Sciences, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Francesca Ferrara
- Department of Neurosciences and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Peggy Marconi
- Department of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Franco Cervellati
- Department of Neurosciences and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Stefania Costa
- Department of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Valacchi
- Department of Environmental and Prevention Sciences, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
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9
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Zhang F, Wang Z, Vijver MG, Peijnenburg WJGM. Theoretical investigation on the interactions of microplastics with a SARS-CoV-2 RNA fragment and their potential impacts on viral transport and exposure. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 842:156812. [PMID: 35738381 PMCID: PMC9212631 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic spread across the world and remains difficult to control. Environmental pollution and habitat conditions do facilitate SARS-CoV-2 transmission as well as increase the risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2. The coexistence of microplastics (MPs) with SARS-CoV-2 affects the viral behavior in the indoor and outdoor environment, and it is essential to study the interactions between MPs and SARS-CoV-2 because they both are ubiquitously present in our environment. To determine the mechanisms underlying the impact of MPs on SARS-CoV-2, we used molecular dynamic simulations to investigate the molecular interactions between five MPs and a SARS-CoV-2 RNA fragment at temperatures ranging from 223 to 310 K in vacuum and in water. We furthermore compared the interactions of MPs and SARS-CoV-2 RNA fragment to the performance of SARS-CoV-1 and Hepatitis B virus (HBV) RNA fragments in interacting with the MPs. The interaction affinity between the MPs and the SARS-CoV-2 RNA fragment was found to be greater than the affinity between the MPs and the SARS-CoV-1 or HBV RNA fragments, independent of the environmental media, temperature, and type of MPs. The mechanisms of the interaction between the MPs and the SARS-CoV-2 RNA fragment involved electrostatic and hydrophobic processes, and the interaction affinity was associated with the inherent structural parameters (i.e., molecular volume, polar surface area, and molecular topological index) of the MPs monomers. Although the evidence on the infectious potential of SARS-CoV-2 RNA is not fully understood, humans are exposed to MPs via their lungs, and the strong interaction with the gene materials of SARS-CoV-2 likely affects the exposure of humans to SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Zhang
- Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, Leiden 2300 RA, the Netherlands
| | - Zhuang Wang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center of Atmospheric Environment and Equipment Technology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Environment Monitoring and Pollution Control, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, PR China
| | - Martina G Vijver
- Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, Leiden 2300 RA, the Netherlands
| | - Willie J G M Peijnenburg
- Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, Leiden 2300 RA, the Netherlands; Centre for Safety of Substances and Products, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven 3720 BA, the Netherlands.
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10
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String GM, Kamal Y, Gute DM, Lantagne DS. Chlorine efficacy against bacteriophage Phi6, a surrogate for enveloped human viruses, on porous and non-porous surfaces at varying temperatures and humidity. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND HEALTH. PART A, TOXIC/HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING 2022; 57:685-693. [PMID: 35912697 DOI: 10.1080/10934529.2022.2101845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
While efficacy of chlorine against Phi6, a widely-used surrogate for pathogenic enveloped viruses, is well-documented, surfaces common to low-resource contexts are under-researched. We evaluated seven surfaces (stainless steel, plastic, nitrile, tarp, cloth, concrete, wood) and three environmental conditions-temperature (4, 25, 40 °C), relative humidity (RH) (23, 85%), and soiling-to determine Phi6 recoverability and the efficacy of disinfection with 0.5% NaOCl. Overall, Phi6 recovery was >4 log10 PFU/mL on most surfaces after drying 1 hour at all temperature/humidity conditions. After disinfection, all non-porous test conditions (48/48) achieved ≥4 LRV at 1 and 5 minutes of exposure; significantly more non-porous surfaces met ≥4 LRV than porous (p < 0.001). Comparing porous surfaces, significantly fewer wood samples met ≥4 LRV than cloth (p < 0.001); no differences were observed between concrete and either wood (p = 0.083) or cloth (p = 0.087). Lastly, no differences were observed between soil and no-soil conditions for all surfaces (p = 0.712). This study highlights infectious Phi6 is recoverable across a range of surfaces and environmental conditions, and confirms the efficacy of chlorine disinfection. We recommend treating all surfaces with suspect contamination as potentially infectious, and disinfecting with 0.5% NaOCl for the minimum contact time required for the target enveloped virus (e.g. Ebola, SARS-CoV-2).
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle M String
- Lancon Environmental LLC, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Yarmina Kamal
- Lancon Environmental LLC, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - David M Gute
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, USA
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11
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An Efficient UV-C Disinfection Approach and Biological Assessment Strategy for Microphones. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/app12147239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
Hygiene is a basic necessity to prevent infections, and though it is regarded as vital in general, its importance has been stressed again during the pandemic. Microbes may spread through touch and aerosols and thereby find their way from host to host. Cleaning and disinfection of possibly contaminated surfaces prevents microbial spread, thus reducing potential illnesses. One item that is used by several people in a way that promotes close contact by touch and aerosol formation is the microphone. A microphone is a complex piece of equipment with respect to shape and various materials used to fabricate it and, hence, its disinfection is challenging. A new device has been developed to efficiently sterilize microphones by using UV-C and a biological assessment has been done to identify its efficacy and translatability. For this investigation, a contamination procedure was developed by using M13 bacteriophage as a model to illustrate the effectiveness of the disinfection. The susceptibility to UV-C irradiation of M13 in solution was compared to that of the PR8 H1N1 influenza virus, which has a similar UV-C susceptibility as SARS-CoV-2. It was found that 10 min of UV-C treatment reduced the percentage of infectious M13 by 99.3% based on whole microphone inoculation and disinfection. UV-C susceptibility of M13 and influenza in suspension were found to be very similar, indicating that the microphone sterilization method and device function are highly useful and broadly applicable.
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Grady SL, Sebeck NM, Theodore M, Meidenbauer KL. Routine Decontamination of Surfaces Relevant to Working Dogs: Neutralization of Superficial Coronavirus Contamination. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12141823. [PMID: 35883369 PMCID: PMC9312250 DOI: 10.3390/ani12141823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Given the increased deployment of working dogs to settings with pathogenic biological agents, a safe, effective, and logistically feasible surface decontamination protocol is essential to protect both the animals and their human handlers. Our group previously found that superficial contamination on surfaces relevant to the working dog community, including leashes and toys, could be significantly reduced using a standardized wiping protocol with various cleansing products. To expand upon this work, we analyzed the ability of this protocol to decontaminate surface-deposited bovine coronavirus, which was used as a BSL2 surrogate for SARS-CoV-2. Unsurprisingly, the physical characteristics of a given surface, including porosity and texture, had a significant effect on the ability to recover viable virus remaining on the surface post treatment. After correcting for these differences, however, wiping with 70% isopropyl alcohol (IPA) and 0.5% chlorhexidine performed best, reducing viral titers by >3 log on plastic bumper toys and nylon collars, and by >2 log on rubber toys and tennis balls. Leather leashes and Velcro proved more difficult to decontaminate, but both still showed significant loss of viral contamination following wiping with IPA or chlorhexidine. This work (i) validates the utility of a simple protocol for the neutralization of viruses on several surfaces, (ii) identifies materials that are more difficult to decontaminate, which should, thus, be considered for removal from field use, and (iii) highlights the need for further development of protocols testing porous or textured surfaces.
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Caschera AG, McAuley J, Kim Y, Purcell D, Rymenants J, Foucher DA. Evaluation of virucidal activity of residual quaternary ammonium-treated surfaces on SARS-CoV-2. Am J Infect Control 2022; 50:325-329. [PMID: 34756967 PMCID: PMC8553632 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajic.2021.10.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2021] [Revised: 10/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on global health and the world's economies. Proliferation of virulent and deadly SARS-CoV-2 variants require effective transmission mitigation strategies. Under reasonable environmental conditions, culturable and infectious SARS-CoV-2 can survive on contaminated fomites from hours to months. In the present study we evaluated a surface-anchored polymeric quaternary ammonium antimicrobial to help reduce fomite transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from contaminated surfaces. METHODS Two studies were performed on antimicrobial pre-treated metal disks in March 2020 by two independent Biosafety Level III (BSL-3) equipped laboratories in April 2020. These facilities were in Belgium (the Rega Medical Research Institute) and Australia (the Peter Doherty Institute) and independently applied quantitative carrier-based methodologies using the authentic SARS-CoV-2 isolates (hCoV-19/Australia/VIC01/2020, hCoV-19/Belgium/GHB-03021/2020). RESULTS Residual dry tests were independently conducted at both facilities and demonstrated sustained virion destruction (108.23 TCID50/carrier GHB-03021 isolate, and 103.66 TCID50/carrier VIC01 isolate) 1 hour (drying) + 10 minutes after inoculation. Reductions are further supported by degradation of RNA on antimicrobial-treated surfaces using qRT-PCR. CONCLUSIONS Using a polymeric quaternary ammonium antimicrobial (EPA/PMRA registered) the results independently support a sustained antiviral effect via SARS-CoV-2 virion destruction and viral RNA degradation. This indicates that silane-anchored quaternary ammonium compound (SiQAC-18) treated surfaces could play an important role in mitigating the communicability and fomite transmission of SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander G Caschera
- Ryerson University, Department of Chemistry and Biology; Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5B 2K3.
| | - Julie McAuley
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Youry Kim
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Damian Purcell
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Jasper Rymenants
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy Rega Institute for Medical Research, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Daniel A Foucher
- Ryerson University, Department of Chemistry and Biology; Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5B 2K3
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14
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Wurtzer S, Waldman P, Levert M, Cluzel N, Almayrac JL, Charpentier C, Masnada S, Gillon-Ritz M, Mouchel JM, Maday Y, Boni M, Marechal V, Moulin L. SARS-CoV-2 genome quantification in wastewaters at regional and city scale allows precise monitoring of the whole outbreaks dynamics and variants spreading in the population. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 810:152213. [PMID: 34896511 PMCID: PMC8656174 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 is a coronavirus causing a globalized outbreak called COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 transmission is associated with inhalation of contaminated respiratory droplets and could causes severe complications. Until today several "waves" of infections have been observed despite implementation of strict health policies. Decisions for such sanitary measures are based on population health monitoring. Unfortunately, for COVID-19, a significant proportion of individuals are asymptomatic but play a role in the virus transmission. To overcome these limitations, several strategies were developed including genome quantification in wastewater that could allow monitoring of the health status of population, since shedding of SARS-CoV-2 in patient stool is frequent. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) was established and several countries implemented this approach to allow COVID-19 outbreak monitoring. In France, the OBEPINE project performed a quantitative analysis of SARS-CoV-2 in raw wastewater samples collected from major wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) since March 2020. In the greater Paris area 1101 samples (507 for five WWTP and 594 for sewer) were collected. This 16 months monitoring allows us to observe the outbreak dynamics. Comparison of WBE indicators with health data lead to several important observation; the good level of correlation with incidence rates, the average 3 days lead time, and the sensitivity (WBE change when incidence is > to 7/100000 inhabitants). We also compared the local monitoring (city level) with the regional monitoring, to help cluster identification. Moreover, variants of concern (VOC) emerged due to the selection pressure. We developed a specific RT-qPCR method targeting the deletion H69-V70 in the spike protein, using this deletion as a proxy of the B.1.1.7 presence in the wastewater. With this data we demonstrate the predominant role played by this strain in the third wave. All these results allow a better description and understanding of the pandemic and highlight the role of such WBE indicators.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Wurtzer
- Eau de Paris, R&D Laboratory, DRDQE Ivry/Seine, France
| | - P Waldman
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, EPHE, UMR 7619 Metis, e-LTER Zone Atelier Seine, Paris, France
| | - M Levert
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Université de Paris, Laboratoire Jacques-Louis Lions (LJLL), et Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
| | - N Cluzel
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Université de Paris, Laboratoire Jacques-Louis Lions (LJLL), et Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
| | - J L Almayrac
- SIAAP, Service process-laboratoire SIAAP site Seine Amont, Valenton, France
| | - C Charpentier
- Service de Virologie, Université de Paris, INSERM, IAME, UMR 1137, AP-HP, Hôpital Bichat-Claude Bernard, F-75018 Paris, France
| | - S Masnada
- SIAM - STV, Avenue de la courtiere, 77400 Saint Thibault des vignes, France
| | - M Gillon-Ritz
- Direction de la Propreté et de l'Eau - Service Technique de l'Eau et de l'Assainissement, rue du Commandeur, 75014 Paris, France
| | - J M Mouchel
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, EPHE, UMR 7619 Metis, e-LTER Zone Atelier Seine, Paris, France
| | - Y Maday
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Université de Paris, Laboratoire Jacques-Louis Lions (LJLL), et Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
| | - M Boni
- Institut de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées, 1 place Valérie André, F-91220 Brétigny sur Orge, France
| | - V Marechal
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Centre de Recherche Saint-Antoine2, Paris, France
| | - L Moulin
- Eau de Paris, R&D Laboratory, DRDQE Ivry/Seine, France.
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15
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Owen L, Shivkumar M, Cross RBM, Laird K. Porous surfaces: stability and recovery of coronaviruses. Interface Focus 2022; 12:20210039. [PMID: 34956608 PMCID: PMC8662390 DOI: 10.1098/rsfs.2021.0039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of indirect contact in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is not clear. SARS-CoV-2 persists on dry surfaces for hours to days; published studies have largely focused on hard surfaces with less research being conducted on different porous surfaces, such as textiles. Understanding the potential risks of indirect transmission of COVID-19 is useful for settings where there is close contact with textiles, including healthcare, manufacturing and retail environments. This article aims to review current research on porous surfaces in relation to their potential as fomites of coronaviruses compared to non-porous surfaces. Current methodologies for assessing the stability and recovery of coronaviruses from surfaces are also explored. Coronaviruses are often less stable on porous surfaces than non-porous surfaces, for example, SARS-CoV-2 persists for 0.5 h-5 days on paper and 3-21 days on plastic; however, stability is dependent on the type of surface. In particular, the surface properties of textiles differ widely depending on their construction, leading to variation in the stability of coronaviruses, with longer persistence on more hydrophobic materials such as polyester (1-3 days) compared to highly absorbent cotton (2 h-4 days). These findings should be considered where there is close contact with potentially contaminated textiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy Owen
- Infectious Disease Research Group, The Leicester School of Pharmacy, De Montfort University, Leicester LE1 9BH, UK
| | - Maitreyi Shivkumar
- Infectious Disease Research Group, The Leicester School of Pharmacy, De Montfort University, Leicester LE1 9BH, UK
| | - Richard B. M. Cross
- Emerging Technologies Research Centre, School of Engineering and Sustainable Development, De Montfort University, Leicester LE1 9BH, UK
| | - Katie Laird
- Infectious Disease Research Group, The Leicester School of Pharmacy, De Montfort University, Leicester LE1 9BH, UK
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16
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Richter WR, Sunderman MM, Mera TO, O’Brien KA, Morgan K, Streams S. Evaluation of environmental conditions as a decontamination approach for
SARS‐CoV
‐2 when applied to common library, archive, and museum related materials. J Appl Microbiol 2022; 132:3405-3415. [PMID: 35094472 PMCID: PMC9306959 DOI: 10.1111/jam.15468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Aims The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of ambient or altered environmental conditions on the inactivation of SARS‐CoV‐2 applied to materials common in libraries, archives and museums. Methods and Results Porous and non‐porous materials (e.g. paper, plastic protective book cover) were inoculated with approximately 1 × 105 TCID50 SARS CoV‐2 (USA‐WA1/2020), dried, placed within test chamber in either a stacked or unstacked configuration, and exposed to environmental conditions ranging from 4 to 29°C at 40 ± 10% relative humidity. The amount of infectious SARS‐CoV‐2 was then assessed at various timepoints from 0 to 10 days. Ambient conditions resulted in varying inactivation rates per material type. Virus inactivation rate decreased when materials were stacked or at colder temperatures. Virus inactivation rate increased when materials were unstacked or at warmer temperatures. Conclusions SARS‐CoV‐2 at ambient conditions resulted in the inactivation of virus below limit of quantitation (LOQ) for all materials by Day 8. Warmer temperatures, for a subset of materials, increased SARS‐CoV‐2 inactivation, and all were <LOQ by Day 3. Significance and Impact of the Study These results provide information for the library, archives and museum community regarding the inactivation of SARS‐CoV‐2, showing that inactivation is possible using prescribed environmental conditions and is a potential method of decontamination for items not compatible with common liquid disinfectants.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - T. O. Mera
- Battelle Memorial Institute Columbus OH USA
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17
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Nastasi N, Renninger N, Bope A, Cochran SJ, Greaves J, Haines SR, Balasubrahmaniam N, Stuart K, Panescu J, Bibby K, Hull NM, Dannemiller KC. Persistence of viable MS2 and Phi6 bacteriophages on carpet and dust. INDOOR AIR 2022; 32:e12969. [PMID: 34882845 DOI: 10.1111/ina.12969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Resuspension of dust from flooring is a major source of human exposure to microbial contaminants, but the persistence of viruses on dust and carpet and the contribution to human exposure are often unknown. The goal of this work is to determine viability of MS2 and Phi6 bacteriophages on cut carpet, looped carpet, and house dust both over time and after cleaning. Bacteriophages were nebulized onto carpet or dust in artificial saliva. Viability was measured at 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 24, and 48 h and after cleaning by vacuum, steam, hot water extraction, and disinfection. MS2 bacteriophages showed slower viability decay rates in dust (-0.11 hr-1 ), cut carpet (-0.20 hr-1 ), and looped carpet (-0.09 hr-1 ) compared to Phi6 (-3.36 hr-1 , -1.57 hr-1 , and -0.20 hr-1 , respectively). Viable viral concentrations were reduced to below the detection limit for steam and disinfection for both MS2 and Phi6 (p < 0.05), while vacuuming and hot water extraction showed no significant changes in concentration from uncleaned carpet (p > 0.05). These results demonstrate that MS2 and Phi6 bacteriophages can remain viable in carpet and dust for several hours to days, and cleaning with heat and disinfectants may be more effective than standard vacuuming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Nastasi
- Environmental Sciences Graduate Program, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
- Department of Civil, Environmental & Geodetic Engineering, College of Engineering, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, College of Public Health, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Nicole Renninger
- Department of Civil, Environmental & Geodetic Engineering, College of Engineering, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Ashleigh Bope
- Environmental Sciences Graduate Program, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
- Department of Civil, Environmental & Geodetic Engineering, College of Engineering, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, College of Public Health, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Samuel J Cochran
- Environmental Sciences Graduate Program, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
- Department of Civil, Environmental & Geodetic Engineering, College of Engineering, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, College of Public Health, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Justin Greaves
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering & Earth Sciences, College of Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States
| | - Sarah R Haines
- Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Neeraja Balasubrahmaniam
- Environmental Sciences Graduate Program, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
- Department of Civil, Environmental & Geodetic Engineering, College of Engineering, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, College of Public Health, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Katelyn Stuart
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, College of Public Health, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Jenny Panescu
- Department of Civil, Environmental & Geodetic Engineering, College of Engineering, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Kyle Bibby
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering & Earth Sciences, College of Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States
| | - Natalie M Hull
- Department of Civil, Environmental & Geodetic Engineering, College of Engineering, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
- Sustainability Institute, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Karen C Dannemiller
- Department of Civil, Environmental & Geodetic Engineering, College of Engineering, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, College of Public Health, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
- Sustainability Institute, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
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18
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Alnimr A, Alamri A, Salama KF, Radi M, Bukharie H, Alshehri B, Rabaan AA, Alshahrani M. The Environmental Deposition of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 in Nosocomial Settings: Role of the Aerosolized Hydrogen Peroxide. Risk Manag Healthc Policy 2021; 14:4469-4475. [PMID: 34754253 PMCID: PMC8570375 DOI: 10.2147/rmhp.s336085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Data on the role of aerosolized hydrogen peroxide (AHP) systems in the control of the COVID-19 pandemic are still emerging. This study provides evidence of the environmental shedding of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in the hospital environment, and the efficacy of AHP to eliminate it. Methods A total of 324 environmental sites (224 surfaces and 100 air samples) belonging to 54 patient rooms were contextually collected and tested for genes of SARS-CoV-2 using RT-PCR assays and Xpert® Xpress SARS-CoV-2. Results The SARS-CoV-2 viral genome was detected in seven sites (2.5%) of three patients’ rooms, including six highly touched surfaces and one air sample. Viral shedding was directly related to the distance from the patient, with 1, 1.9, and 3.5% of samples testing positive at 3, 2, and 1 meter, respectively (P-value=0.02). None of the sites showed the viral genome following application of 6% AHP. Of note, the viral genome was detected at 2 meters of a mildly symptomatic case on a face mask in the absence of aerosol generating procedures. Conclusion Our data support the possible role of the hospital environment as a source of infection, and the efficacy of AHP to eliminate the virus. Further studies are needed to address the viability of the pathogen in these nosocomial sites and the cost-effectiveness of routine hospital disinfection procedures using AHP for SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amani Alnimr
- Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine & King Fahad Hospital of the University, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Aisha Alamri
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Khaled F Salama
- Department of Environmental Health, College of Public Health & King Fahad Hospital of the University, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mahmoud Radi
- Department of Infection Control, King Fahad Hospital of the University, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Huda Bukharie
- Department of Infection Control, King Fahad Hospital of the University, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Bashayer Alshehri
- Microbiology Laboratory, Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ali A Rabaan
- Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory, Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.,Department of Public Health and Nutrition, The University of Haripur, Haripur, Pakistan
| | - Mohammed Alshahrani
- Emergency and Critical Care Department, College of Medicine & King Fahad Hospital of the University, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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19
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String GM, White MR, Gute DM, Mühlberger E, Lantagne DS. Selection of a SARS-CoV-2 Surrogate for Use in Surface Disinfection Efficacy Studies with Chlorine and Antimicrobial Surfaces. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LETTERS 2021; 8:995-1001. [PMID: 37566364 PMCID: PMC8491555 DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.1c00593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Initial recommendations for surface disinfection to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission were developed using previous evidence from potential surrogates. To the best of our knowledge, no appropriate surrogate for SARS-CoV-2 has been identified or confirmed for chlorine and antimicrobial surface disinfection. We completed a study to evaluate the efficacy of two hypothesized antimicrobial surfaces, and four chlorine solutions on nonporous and porous surfaces, against SARS-CoV-2 and three potential SARS-CoV-2 surrogates [coronavirus mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) and bacteriophages Phi6 and MS2], to identify a BSL-1 or BSL-2 virus to use in future studies. We found SARS-CoV-2 can be reduced >4 log10 on porous and nonporous surfaces within 30 s upon exposure to 0.5% NaOCl. The results indicate coronavirus MHV-GFP is inactivated faster than SARS-CoV-2 (MHV-GFP ≥ 6.08 log10; SARS-CoV-2 = 0.66 log10 at 30 s with 0.05% NaOCl on steel) and MS2 is inactivated more slowly. Phi6 is inactivated like SARS-CoV-2, and we propose Phi6 as a slightly conservative surrogate for SARS-CoV-2 chlorine disinfection. Additionally, disinfection of bacteriophages on wood was challenging, and exposure to antimicrobial surfaces had no disinfection efficacy as tested. We recommend using 0.5% chlorine on surfaces for a minimum of 30 s of contact to disinfect SARS-CoV-2 and recommend additional research on Phi6 disinfection with varied surfaces and conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle M. String
- Lancon Environmental, LLC,
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02140, United States
- Civil and Environmental Engineering,
Tufts University School of Engineering, Medford,
Massachusetts 02155, United States
| | - Mitchell R. White
- Department of Microbiology, Boston
University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118,
United States
- National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories,
Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02118,
United States
| | - David M. Gute
- Civil and Environmental Engineering,
Tufts University School of Engineering, Medford,
Massachusetts 02155, United States
| | - Elke Mühlberger
- Department of Microbiology, Boston
University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02118,
United States
- National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories,
Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02118,
United States
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20
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Sobolik JS, Sajewski ET, Jaykus LA, Cooper DK, Lopman BA, Kraay ANM, Ryan PB, Leon JS. Controlling risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in essential workers of enclosed food manufacturing facilities. Food Control 2021; 133:108632. [PMID: 34703082 PMCID: PMC8532033 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2021.108632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 global pandemic poses significant health risks to workers who are essential to maintaining the food supply chain. Using a quantitative risk assessment model, this study characterized the impact of risk reduction strategies for controlling SARS-CoV-2 transmission (droplet, aerosol, fomite-mediated) among front-line workers in a representative indoor fresh fruit and vegetable manufacturing facility. We simulated: 1) individual and cumulative SARS-CoV-2 infection risks from close contact (droplet and aerosols at 1–3 m), aerosol, and fomite-mediated exposures to a susceptible worker following exposure to an infected worker during an 8 h-shift; and 2) the relative reduction in SARS-CoV-2 infection risk attributed to infection control interventions (physical distancing, mask use, ventilation, surface disinfection, hand hygiene, vaccination). Without mitigation measures, the SARS-CoV-2 infection risk was largest for close contact (droplet and aerosol) at 1 m (0.96, 5th – 95th percentile: 0.67–1.0). In comparison, risk associated with fomite (0.26, 5th – 95th percentile: 0.10–0.56) or aerosol exposure alone (0.05, 5th – 95th percentile: 0.01–0.13) at 1 m distance was substantially lower (73–95%). At 1 m, droplet transmission predominated over aerosol and fomite-mediated transmission, however, this changed by 3 m, with aerosols comprising the majority of the exposure dose. Increasing physical distancing reduced risk by 84% (1–2 m) and 91% (1–3 m). Universal mask use reduced infection risk by 52–88%, depending on mask type. Increasing ventilation (from 0.1 to 2–8 air changes/hour) resulted in risk reductions of 14–54% (1 m) and 55–85% (2 m). Combining these strategies, together with handwashing and surface disinfection, resulted in <1% infection risk. Partial or full vaccination of the susceptible worker resulted in risk reductions of 73–92% (1 m risk range: 0.08–0.26). However, vaccination paired with other interventions (ACH 2, mask use, or distancing) was necessary to achieve infection risks <1%. Current industry SARS-CoV-2 risk reduction strategies, particularly when bundled, provide significant protection to essential food workers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia S Sobolik
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | | | - Lee-Ann Jaykus
- Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | - D Kane Cooper
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Ben A Lopman
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Alicia N M Kraay
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - P Barry Ryan
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Juan S Leon
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
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21
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Mody L, Gibson KE, Mantey J, Bautista L, Montoya A, Neeb K, Jenq G, Mills JP, Min L, Kabeto M, Galecki A, Cassone M, Martin ET. Environmental contamination with SARS-CoV-2 in nursing homes. J Am Geriatr Soc 2021; 70:29-39. [PMID: 34674220 PMCID: PMC8661527 DOI: 10.1111/jgs.17531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks in nursing homes (NHs) have been devastating and have led to the creation of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) units within NHs to care for affected patients. Frequency and persistence of SARS-CoV-2 environmental contamination in these units have not been studied. METHODS A prospective cohort study was conducted between October 2020 and January 2021 in four Michigan NHs. Swabs from high-touch surfaces in COVID-19-infected patient rooms were obtained at enrollment and follow-up. Demographic and clinical data were collected from clinical records. Primary outcome of interest was the probability of SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection from specific environmental surfaces in COVID-19 patient rooms. We used multivariable logistic regression to assess patient risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 contamination. Pairwise Phi coefficients were calculated to measure correlation of site-specific environmental detection upon enrollment and during follow-up. RESULTS One hundred and four patients with COVID-19 were enrolled (61.5% >80 years; 67.3% female; 89.4% non-Hispanic White; 51% short stay) and followed up for 241 visits. The study population had significant disabilities in activities of daily living (ADL; 81.7% dependent in four or more ADLs) and comorbidities, including dementia (55.8%), diabetes (40.4%), and heart failure (32.7%). Over the 3-month study period, 2087 swab specimens were collected (1896 COVID-19 patient rooms, 191 common areas). SARS-CoV-2 positivity was 28.4% (538/1896 swabs) on patient room surfaces and 3.7% (7/191 swabs) on common area surfaces. Nearly 90% (93/104) of patients had SARS-CoV-2 contamination in their room at least once. Environmental contamination upon enrollment correlated with contamination of the same site during follow-up. Functional independence increased the odds of proximate contamination. CONCLUSIONS Environmental detection of viral RNA from surfaces in the rooms of COVID-19 patients is nearly universal and persistent; more investigation is needed to determine the implications of this for infectiousness. Patients with greater independence are more likely than fully dependent patients to contaminate their immediate environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lona Mody
- Division of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.,Geriatrics Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Kristen E Gibson
- Division of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Julia Mantey
- Division of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Liza Bautista
- Division of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Ana Montoya
- Division of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.,Post-Acute Care Services, University of Michigan Medical Group, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Karen Neeb
- Division of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Grace Jenq
- Division of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.,Post-Acute Care Services, University of Michigan Medical Group, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - John P Mills
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Lillian Min
- Division of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.,Geriatrics Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Mohammed Kabeto
- Division of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Andrzej Galecki
- Division of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.,Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Marco Cassone
- Division of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Emily T Martin
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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22
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Mohamadi M, Babington-Ashaye A, Lefort A, Flahault A. Risks of Infection with SARS-CoV-2 Due to Contaminated Surfaces: A Scoping Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:11019. [PMID: 34769538 PMCID: PMC8583529 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182111019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 outbreak is a global health concern. Understanding the transmission modes of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is key to limit the spread of the pandemic. A lack of knowledge about the possibility of SARS-CoV-2 transmission and infection through contaminated surfaces is noticeable and recent studies have stated conflicting findings. This scoping review aims to understand the risks of contaminations via fomites better. Relevant publications were selected through Google Scholar, Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, Medline, and Cochrane Library, with related keywords. PRISMA-ScR guidelines were followed. Out of the 565 articles found, exclusion criteria were applied, duplicates removed, and a total of 25 articles were finally included in the study. The included documents were assessed by the contamination risk: "low" (37.5%), "high" (16.7%), "plausible" (8.3%), "unlikely" (8.3%) risk, and "insufficient evidence" (29.2%). Research in hospital settings was found as the main setting in the reviewed papers, which precisely indicated the risk of contaminated surfaces. This scoping review underscores the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection via contaminated surfaces assessed as low in the majority of the reviewed articles. Further evaluation of the risk of the virus transmission by fomites and providing adequate information on its infectivity via contaminated surfaces in real-life conditions is essential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjan Mohamadi
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Global Health, University of Geneva, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland; (M.M.); (A.F.)
| | - Awa Babington-Ashaye
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Global Health, University of Geneva, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland; (M.M.); (A.F.)
| | - Agnès Lefort
- Service de Médecine Interne, Hôpital Beaujon, Clichy and IAME, UMR1137, INSERM and Université de Paris, 75006 Paris, France;
| | - Antoine Flahault
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Global Health, University of Geneva, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland; (M.M.); (A.F.)
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23
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O’Callahan B, Qafoku O, Balema V, Negrete OA, Passian A, Engelhard MH, Waters KM. Atomic Force Microscopy and Infrared Nanospectroscopy of COVID-19 Spike Protein for the Quantification of Adhesion to Common Surfaces. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2021; 37:12089-12097. [PMID: 34609882 PMCID: PMC8507151 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.1c01910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2021] [Revised: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed millions of lives worldwide, sickened many more, and has resulted in severe socioeconomic consequences. As society returns to normal, understanding the spread and persistence of SARS CoV-2 on commonplace surfaces can help to mitigate future outbreaks of coronaviruses and other pathogens. We hypothesize that such an understanding can be aided by studying the binding and interaction of viral proteins with nonbiological surfaces. Here, we propose a methodology for investigating the adhesion of the SARS CoV-2 spike glycoprotein on common inorganic surfaces such as aluminum, copper, iron, silica, and ceria oxides as well as metallic gold. Quantitative adhesion was obtained from the analysis of measured forces at the nanoscale using an atomic force microscope operated under ambient conditions. Without imposing further constraints on the measurement conditions, our preliminary findings suggest that spike glycoproteins interact with similar adhesion forces across the majority of the metal oxides tested with the exception to gold, for which attraction forces ∼10 times stronger than all other materials studied were observed. Ferritin, which was used as a reference protein, was found to exhibit similar adhesion forces as SARS CoV-2 spike protein. This study results show that glycoprotein adhesion forces for similar ambient humidity, tip shape, and contact surface are nonspecific to the properties of metal oxide surfaces, which are expected to be covered by a thin water film. The findings suggest that under ambient conditions, glycoprotein adhesion to metal oxides is primarily controlled by the water capillary forces, and they depend on the surface tension of the liquid water. We discuss further strategies warranted to decipher the intricate nanoscale forces for improved quantification of the adhesion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian O’Callahan
- Earth
and Biological Sciences Division, Pacific
Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352, United States
| | - Odeta Qafoku
- Earth
and Biological Sciences Division, Pacific
Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352, United States
| | - Viktor Balema
- Ames
Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Iowa
State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, United States
| | - Oscar A. Negrete
- Biotechnology
and Bioengineering Department, Sandia National
Laboratories, Livermore, California 94550, United States
| | - Ali Passian
- Quantum
Information Science Group, Oak Ridge National
Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Mark H. Engelhard
- Earth
and Biological Sciences Division, Pacific
Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352, United States
| | - Katrina M. Waters
- Earth
and Biological Sciences Division, Pacific
Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352, United States
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24
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Rowan NJ, Meade E, Garvey M. Efficacy of frontline chemical biocides and disinfection approaches for inactivating SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern that cause coronavirus disease with the emergence of opportunities for green eco-solutions. CURRENT OPINION IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & HEALTH 2021; 23:100290. [PMID: 34250323 PMCID: PMC8254398 DOI: 10.1016/j.coesh.2021.100290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of severe acute respiratory disease (SARS-CoV-2) variants that cause coronavirus disease is of global concern. Severe acute respiratory disease variants of concern (VOC) exhibiting greater transmissibility, and potentially increased risk of hospitalization, severity and mortality, are attributed to molecular mutations in outer viral surface spike proteins. Thus, there is a reliance on using appropriate counter-disease measures, including non-pharmaceutical interventions and vaccination. The best evidence suggests that the use of frontline biocides effectively inactivate coronavirus similarly, including VOC, such as 202012/01, 501Y.V2 and P.1 that have rapidly replaced the wild-type variant in the United Kingdom, South Africa and Brazil, respectively. However, this review highlights that efficacy of VOC-disinfection will depend on the type of biocide and the parameters governing the activity. VOC are likely to be similar in size to the wild-type strain, thus implying that existing guidelines for use and re-use of face masks post disinfection remain relevant. Monitoring to avoid injudicious use of biocides during the coronavirus disease era is required as prolonged and excessive biocide usage may negatively impact our receiving environments; thus, highlighting the potential for alternative more environmental-friendly sustainable biocide solutions. Traditional biocides may promote cross-antimicrobial resistance to antibiotics in problematical bacteria. The existing filtration efficacy of face masks is likely to perform similarly for VOC due to similar viral size; however, advances in face mask manufacturing by way incorporating new anti-viral materials will potentially enhance their design and functionality for existing and potential future pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil J Rowan
- Centre for Disinfection and Sterilisation, Athlone Institute of Technology, Dublin Road, Athlone, Ireland
- Department of Nursing and Healthcare, Athlone Institute of Technology, Dublin Road, Athlone, Ireland
| | - Elaine Meade
- Department of Life Science, Institute of Technology, Sligo, Ash Lane, Sligo, Ireland
| | - Mary Garvey
- Department of Life Science, Institute of Technology, Sligo, Ash Lane, Sligo, Ireland
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25
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Huang Q, Wang W, Vikesland PJ. Implications of the Coffee-Ring Effect on Virus Infectivity. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2021; 37:11260-11268. [PMID: 34525305 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.1c01610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The factors contributing to the survival of enveloped viruses (e.g., influenza and SARS-CoV-2) on fomite surfaces are of societal interest. The bacteriophage Phi6 is an enveloped viral surrogate commonly used to study viability. To investigate how viability changes during the evaporation of droplets on polypropylene, we conducted experiments using a fixed initial Phi6 concentration while systematically varying the culture concentration and composition (by amendment with 2% fetal bovine serum (FBS), 0.08 wt % BSA, or 0.5 wt % SDS). The results were consistent with the well-founded relative humidity (RH) effect on virus viability; however, the measured viability change was greater than that previously reported for droplets containing either inorganic salts or proteins alone, and the protein effects diverged in 1× Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM). We attribute this discrepancy to changes in virus distribution during droplet evaporation that arise due to the variable solute drying patterns (i.e., the "coffee-ring" effect) that are a function of the droplet biochemical composition. To test this hypothesis, we used surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) imaging and three types of gold nanoparticles (pH nanoprobe, positively charged (AuNPs(+)), and negatively charged (AuNPs(-))) as physical surrogates for Phi6 and determined that lower DMEM concentrations, as well as lower protein concentrations, suppressed the coffee-ring effect. This result was observed irrespective of particle surface charge. The trends in the coffee-ring effect correlate well with the measured changes in virus infectivity. The correlation suggests that conditions resulting in more concentrated coffee rings provide protective effects against inactivation when viruses and proteins aggregate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qishen Huang
- Civil and Environmental Engineering and Institute of Critical Technology and Applied Science (ICTAS) Sustainable Nanotechnology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
| | - Wei Wang
- Civil and Environmental Engineering and Institute of Critical Technology and Applied Science (ICTAS) Sustainable Nanotechnology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
| | - Peter J Vikesland
- Civil and Environmental Engineering and Institute of Critical Technology and Applied Science (ICTAS) Sustainable Nanotechnology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
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26
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Lee JK, Bullen C, Ben Amor Y, Bush SR, Colombo F, Gaviria A, Karim SSA, Kim B, Lavis JN, Lazarus JV, Lo YC, Michie SF, Norheim OF, Oh J, Reddy KS, Rostila M, Sáenz R, Smith LDG, Thwaites JW, Were MK, Xue L. Institutional and behaviour-change interventions to support COVID-19 public health measures: a review by the Lancet Commission Task Force on public health measures to suppress the pandemic. Int Health 2021; 13:399-409. [PMID: 33974687 PMCID: PMC8136029 DOI: 10.1093/inthealth/ihab022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The Lancet COVID-19 Commission Task Force for Public Health Measures to Suppress the Pandemic was launched to identify critical points for consideration by governments on public health interventions to control coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Drawing on our review of published studies of data analytics and modelling, evidence synthesis and contextualisation, and behavioural science evidence and theory on public health interventions from a range of sources, we outline evidence for a range of institutional measures and behaviour-change measures. We cite examples of measures adopted by a range of countries, but especially jurisdictions that have, thus far, achieved low numbers of COVID-19 deaths and limited community transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Finally, we highlight gaps in knowledge where research should be undertaken. As countries consider long-term measures, there is an opportunity to learn, improve the response and prepare for future pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jong-Koo Lee
- Seoul National UniversityCollege of Medicine, Seoul, 03080, Republic of Korea
- Department of Family Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, 03080, Republic of Korea
| | - Chris Bullen
- School of Population Health, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Yanis Ben Amor
- Center for Sustainable Development, Earth Institute, Columbia University, New York, 10115, USA
| | | | | | - Alejandro Gaviria
- School of Economics, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, 111711, Colombia
| | - Salim S Abdool Karim
- Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), Private Bag X7, Congella, 4013, Durban, South Africa
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, New York, 10032, USA
| | - Booyuel Kim
- Department of Environmental Planning, Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
- Environmental Planning Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - John N Lavis
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Jeffrey V Lazarus
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clínic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, 08036, Spain
| | - Yi-Chun Lo
- Taiwan Centers for Disease Control, Taipei, 100, Taiwan
| | - Susan F Michie
- UCL Centre for Behaviour Change, Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London WC1E 7HB, UK
| | - Ole F Norheim
- Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Postboks 7804 NO-5020, Bergen, Norway
| | - Juhwan Oh
- Seoul National UniversityCollege of Medicine, Seoul, 03080, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Mikael Rostila
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, 10691, Sweden
| | - Rocío Sáenz
- School of Public Health, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro Montes de Oca, San José, 11501, Costa Rica
| | - Liam D G Smith
- BehaviourWorks Australia, Monash University, Melbourne, 3800, Australia
| | - John W Thwaites
- Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, 3800, Australia
| | - Miriam K Were
- Champions of an AIDS-Free Generation in Africa, P.O. Box 63056 - 00200 Nairobi
| | - Lan Xue
- School of Public Policy and Management, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
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27
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Chaintoutis SC, Thomou Z, Mouchtaropoulou E, Tsiolas G, Chassalevris T, Stylianaki I, Lagou M, Michailidou S, Moutou E, Koenen JJH, Dijkshoorn JW, Paraskevis D, Poutahidis T, Siarkou VI, Sypsa V, Argiriou A, Fortomaris P, Dovas CI. Outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2 in naturally infected mink farms: Impact, transmission dynamics, genetic patterns, and environmental contamination. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009883. [PMID: 34492088 PMCID: PMC8448373 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 infection outbreaks in minks have serious implications associated with animal health and welfare, and public health. In two naturally infected mink farms (A and B) located in Greece, we investigated the outbreaks and assessed parameters associated with virus transmission, immunity, pathology, and environmental contamination. Symptoms ranged from anorexia and mild depression to respiratory signs of varying intensity. Although the farms were at different breeding stages, mortality was similarly high (8.4% and 10.0%). The viral strains belonged to lineages B.1.1.218 and B.1.1.305, possessing the mink-specific S-Y453F substitution. Lung histopathology identified necrosis of smooth muscle and connective tissue elements of vascular walls, and vasculitis as the main early key events of the acute SARS-CoV-2-induced broncho-interstitial pneumonia. Molecular investigation in two dead minks indicated a consistently higher (0.3-1.3 log10 RNA copies/g) viral load in organs of the male mink compared to the female. In farm A, the infected farmers were responsible for the significant initial infection of 229 out of 1,000 handled minks, suggesting a very efficient human-to-mink transmission. Subsequent infections across the sheds wherein animals were being housed occurred due to airborne transmission. Based on a R0 of 2.90 and a growth rate equal to 0.293, the generation time was estimated to be 3.6 days, indicative of the massive SARS-CoV-2 dispersal among minks. After the end of the outbreaks, a similar percentage of animals were immune in the two farms (93.0% and 93.3%), preventing further virus transmission whereas, viral RNA was detected in samples collected from shed surfaces and air. Consequently, strict biosecurity is imperative during the occurrence of clinical signs. Environmental viral load monitoring, in conjunction with NGS should be adopted in mink farm surveillance. The minimum proportion of minks that need to be immunized to avoid outbreaks in farms was calculated at 65.5%, which is important for future vaccination campaigns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serafeim C. Chaintoutis
- Diagnostic Laboratory, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Zoi Thomou
- Pecon Hellas PC, Dispilio, Kastoria, Greece
| | | | - George Tsiolas
- Institute of Applied Biosciences, Centre of Research and Technology Hellas, Thermi, Greece
| | - Taxiarchis Chassalevris
- Diagnostic Laboratory, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Ioanna Stylianaki
- Laboratory of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Maria Lagou
- Laboratory of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Sofia Michailidou
- Institute of Applied Biosciences, Centre of Research and Technology Hellas, Thermi, Greece
| | - Evangelia Moutou
- Diagnostic Laboratory, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | | | | | - Dimitrios Paraskevis
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Theofilos Poutahidis
- Laboratory of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Victoria I. Siarkou
- Laboratory of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Vana Sypsa
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Anagnostis Argiriou
- Institute of Applied Biosciences, Centre of Research and Technology Hellas, Thermi, Greece
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of the Aegean, Myrina, Greece
| | - Paschalis Fortomaris
- Laboratory of Animal Husbandry, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Chrysostomos I. Dovas
- Diagnostic Laboratory, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
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28
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Shah SR, Kane SR, Elsheikh M, Alfaro TM. Development of a Rapid Viability RT-PCR (RV-RT-PCR) Method to Detect Infectious SARS-CoV-2 from Swabs. J Virol Methods 2021; 297:114251. [PMID: 34380012 PMCID: PMC8349479 DOI: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2021.114251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Since the rapid onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, its causative virus, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), continues to spread and increase the number of fatalities. To expedite studies on understanding potential surface transmission of the virus and to aid environmental epidemiological investigations, we developed a rapid viability reverse transcriptase PCR (RV-RT-PCR) method that detects viable (infectious) SARS-CoV-2 from swab samples in <1 day compared to several days required by current gold-standard cell-culture-based methods. The method integrates cell-culture-based viral enrichment in a 96-well plate format with gene-specific RT-PCR-based analysis before and after sample incubation to determine the cycle threshold (CT) difference (ΔCT). An algorithm based on ΔCT ≥ 6 representing ∼ 2-log or more increase in SARS-CoV-2 RNA following enrichment determines the presence of infectious virus. The RV-RT-PCR method with 2-hr viral infection and 9-hr post-infection incubation periods includes ultrafiltration to concentrate virions, resulting in detection of <50 SARS-CoV-2 virions in swab samples in 17 hours (for a batch of 12 swabs), compared to days typically required by the cell-culture based method. The SARS-CoV-2 RV-RT-PCR method may also be useful in clinical sample analysis and antiviral drug testing, and could serve as a model for developing rapid methods for other viruses of concern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjiv R Shah
- Homeland Security and Materials Management Division, Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Staci R Kane
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, USA.
| | - Maher Elsheikh
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, USA
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29
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Ooi CC, Suwardi A, Ou Yang ZL, Xu G, Tan CKI, Daniel D, Li H, Ge Z, Leong FY, Marimuthu K, Ng OT, Lim SB, Lim P, Mak WS, Cheong WCD, Loh XJ, Kang CW, Lim KH. Risk assessment of airborne COVID-19 exposure in social settings. PHYSICS OF FLUIDS (WOODBURY, N.Y. : 1994) 2021; 33:087118. [PMID: 34552314 PMCID: PMC8450907 DOI: 10.1063/5.0055547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to many countries oscillating between various states of lock-down as they seek to balance keeping the economy and essential services running and minimizing the risk of further transmission. Decisions are made about which activities to keep open across a range of social settings and venues guided only by ad hoc heuristics regarding social distancing and personal hygiene. Hence, we propose the dual use of computational fluid dynamic simulations and surrogate aerosol measurements for location-specific assessment of risk of infection across different real-world settings. We propose a 3-tiered risk assessment scheme to facilitate classification of scenarios into risk levels based on simulations and experiments. Threshold values of <54 and >840 viral copies and <5% and >40% of original aerosol concentration are chosen to stratify low, medium, and high risk. This can help prioritize allowable activities and guide implementation of phased lockdowns or re-opening. Using a public bus in Singapore as a case study, we evaluate the relative risk of infection across scenarios such as different activities and passenger positions and demonstrate the effectiveness of our risk assessment methodology as a simple and easily interpretable framework. For example, this study revealed that the bus's air-conditioning greatly influences dispersion and increases the risk of certain seats and that talking can result in similar relative risk to coughing for passengers around an infected person. Both numerical and experimental approaches show similar relative risk levels with a Spearman's correlation coefficient of 0.74 despite differing observables, demonstrating applicability of this risk assessment methodology to other scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chin Chun Ooi
- Institute of High Performance Computing, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 1 Fusionopolis Way, Singapore 138632
| | - Ady Suwardi
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 2 Fusionopolis Way, Singapore 138634
| | - Zhong Liang Ou Yang
- Institute of High Performance Computing, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 1 Fusionopolis Way, Singapore 138632
| | - George Xu
- Institute of High Performance Computing, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 1 Fusionopolis Way, Singapore 138632
| | - Chee Kiang Ivan Tan
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 2 Fusionopolis Way, Singapore 138634
| | - Dan Daniel
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 2 Fusionopolis Way, Singapore 138634
| | - Hongying Li
- Institute of High Performance Computing, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 1 Fusionopolis Way, Singapore 138632
| | - Zhengwei Ge
- Institute of High Performance Computing, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 1 Fusionopolis Way, Singapore 138632
| | - Fong Yew Leong
- Institute of High Performance Computing, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 1 Fusionopolis Way, Singapore 138632
| | - Kalisvar Marimuthu
- National Centre for Infectious Diseases, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, 16 Jalan Tan Tock Seng, Singapore 308443
| | - Oon Tek Ng
- National Centre for Infectious Diseases, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, 16 Jalan Tan Tock Seng, Singapore 308443
| | - Shin Bin Lim
- Ministry of Health Singapore, College of Medicine Building, 16 College Road, Singapore 169854
| | - Peter Lim
- Land Transport Authority, 1 Hampshire Road, Singapore 219428
| | - Wai Siong Mak
- Land Transport Authority, 1 Hampshire Road, Singapore 219428
| | - Wun Chet Davy Cheong
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 2 Fusionopolis Way, Singapore 138634
| | - Xian Jun Loh
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 2 Fusionopolis Way, Singapore 138634
| | - Chang Wei Kang
- Institute of High Performance Computing, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 1 Fusionopolis Way, Singapore 138632
| | - Keng Hui Lim
- Institute of High Performance Computing, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 1 Fusionopolis Way, Singapore 138632
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Escandón K, Rasmussen AL, Bogoch II, Murray EJ, Escandón K, Popescu SV, Kindrachuk J. COVID-19 false dichotomies and a comprehensive review of the evidence regarding public health, COVID-19 symptomatology, SARS-CoV-2 transmission, mask wearing, and reinfection. BMC Infect Dis 2021; 21:710. [PMID: 34315427 PMCID: PMC8314268 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-021-06357-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Scientists across disciplines, policymakers, and journalists have voiced frustration at the unprecedented polarization and misinformation around coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Several false dichotomies have been used to polarize debates while oversimplifying complex issues. In this comprehensive narrative review, we deconstruct six common COVID-19 false dichotomies, address the evidence on these topics, identify insights relevant to effective pandemic responses, and highlight knowledge gaps and uncertainties. The topics of this review are: 1) Health and lives vs. economy and livelihoods, 2) Indefinite lockdown vs. unlimited reopening, 3) Symptomatic vs. asymptomatic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, 4) Droplet vs. aerosol transmission of SARS-CoV-2, 5) Masks for all vs. no masking, and 6) SARS-CoV-2 reinfection vs. no reinfection. We discuss the importance of multidisciplinary integration (health, social, and physical sciences), multilayered approaches to reducing risk ("Emmentaler cheese model"), harm reduction, smart masking, relaxation of interventions, and context-sensitive policymaking for COVID-19 response plans. We also address the challenges in understanding the broad clinical presentation of COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 transmission, and SARS-CoV-2 reinfection. These key issues of science and public health policy have been presented as false dichotomies during the pandemic. However, they are hardly binary, simple, or uniform, and therefore should not be framed as polar extremes. We urge a nuanced understanding of the science and caution against black-or-white messaging, all-or-nothing guidance, and one-size-fits-all approaches. There is a need for meaningful public health communication and science-informed policies that recognize shades of gray, uncertainties, local context, and social determinants of health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Escandón
- School of Medicine, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia.
| | - Angela L Rasmussen
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
- Georgetown Center for Global Health Science and Security, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Isaac I Bogoch
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Canada
| | - Eleanor J Murray
- Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, USA
| | - Karina Escandón
- Department of Anthropology, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Saskia V Popescu
- Georgetown Center for Global Health Science and Security, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
- Schar School of Policy and Government, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
| | - Jason Kindrachuk
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
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Mosselhy DA, Kareinen L, Kivistö I, Aaltonen K, Virtanen J, Ge Y, Sironen T. Copper-Silver Nanohybrids: SARS-CoV-2 Inhibitory Surfaces. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 11:1820. [PMID: 34361206 PMCID: PMC8308209 DOI: 10.3390/nano11071820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) remains a severe health threat. The COVID-19 infections occurring in humans and animals render human-animal interfaces hot spots for spreading the pandemic. Lessons from the past point towards the antiviral properties of copper formulations; however, data showing the "contact-time limit" surface inhibitory efficacy of copper formulations to contain SARS-CoV-2 are limited. Here, we show the rapid inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 after only 1 and 5 min on two different surfaces containing copper-silver (Cu-Ag) nanohybrids. We characterized the nanohybrids' powder and surfaces using a series of sophisticated microscopy tools, including transmission and scanning electron microscopes (TEM and SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). We used culturing methods to demonstrate that Cu-Ag nanohybrids with high amounts of Cu (~65 and 78 wt%) and lower amounts of Ag (~7 and 9 wt%) inhibited SARS-CoV-2 efficiently. Collectively, the present work reveals the rapid SARS-CoV-2 surface inhibition and the promising application of such surfaces to break the SARS-CoV-2 transmission chain. For example, such applications could be invaluable within a hospital or live-stock settings, or any public place with surfaces that people frequently touch (i.e., public transportation, shopping malls, elevators, and door handles) after the precise control of different parameters and toxicity evaluations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dina A. Mosselhy
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 21, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; (L.K.); (I.K.); (K.A.); (J.V.)
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 66, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Lauri Kareinen
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 21, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; (L.K.); (I.K.); (K.A.); (J.V.)
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 66, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ilkka Kivistö
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 21, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; (L.K.); (I.K.); (K.A.); (J.V.)
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 66, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kirsi Aaltonen
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 21, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; (L.K.); (I.K.); (K.A.); (J.V.)
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 66, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jenni Virtanen
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 21, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; (L.K.); (I.K.); (K.A.); (J.V.)
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 66, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Yanling Ge
- VTT Technical Research Center of Finland Ltd., P.O. Box 1000, 02044 Espoo, Finland;
| | - Tarja Sironen
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 21, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; (L.K.); (I.K.); (K.A.); (J.V.)
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 66, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
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Hrudey SE, Silva DS, Shelley J, Pons W, Isaac-Renton J, Chik AHS, Conant B. Ethics Guidance for Environmental Scientists Engaged in Surveillance of Wastewater for SARS-CoV-2. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:8484-8491. [PMID: 34101444 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c00308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to rapid and widespread international pursuit of wastewater surveillance for genetic signals of SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing the pandemic. Environmental scientists and engineers familiar with the techniques required for this endeavor have responded. Many of the environmental scientists engaged in these investigations have not necessarily had experience with the ethical obligations associated with generating and handling human health data. The Canadian Water Network facilitated adoption of these surveillance methods by creating a national coalition, which included a public health advisory group that recognized a need for ethics guidance for the wastewater approach to public health surveillance. This Policy Analysis addresses that need and is based on a review of relevant ethics literature tightly focused on ethics applicable to public health surveillance. That review revealed that classical health bioethics governing clinical practice and general public health ethics guidance did not adequately address key issues in wastewater surveillance. The 2017 World Health Organization guidelines, directly based on a systematic literature review, specifically addressed ethical issues in public health surveillance. The application of relevant ethical guidance to wastewater surveillance is analyzed and summarized for environmental scientists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steve E Hrudey
- Analytical & Environmental Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G7, Canada
| | - Diego S Silva
- University of Sydney School of Public Health, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Jacob Shelley
- School of Health Studies, Western University, London, Ontario N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Wendy Pons
- School of Health & Life Sciences Conestoga College, Kitchener, Ontario N2G 4M4, Canada
| | - Judy Isaac-Renton
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | | | - Bernadette Conant
- Canadian Water Network, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
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Ludwig-Begall LF, Wielick C, Jolois O, Dams L, Razafimahefa RM, Nauwynck H, Demeuldre PF, Napp A, Laperre J, Thiry E, Haubruge E. "Don, doff, discard" to "don, doff, decontaminate"-FFR and mask integrity and inactivation of a SARS-CoV-2 surrogate and a norovirus following multiple vaporised hydrogen peroxide-, ultraviolet germicidal irradiation-, and dry heat decontaminations. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0251872. [PMID: 34010337 PMCID: PMC8133425 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0251872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND As the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic accelerates, the supply of personal protective equipment remains under strain. To combat shortages, re-use of surgical masks and filtering facepiece respirators has been recommended. Prior decontamination is paramount to the re-use of these typically single-use only items and, without compromising their integrity, must guarantee inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 and other contaminating pathogens. AIM We provide information on the effect of time-dependent passive decontamination (infectivity loss over time during room temperature storage in a breathable bag) and evaluate inactivation of a SARS-CoV-2 surrogate and a non-enveloped model virus as well as mask and respirator integrity following active multiple-cycle vaporised hydrogen peroxide (VHP), ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI), and dry heat (DH) decontamination. METHODS Masks and respirators, inoculated with infectious porcine respiratory coronavirus or murine norovirus, were submitted to passive decontamination or single or multiple active decontamination cycles; viruses were recovered from sample materials and viral titres were measured via TCID50 assay. In parallel, filtration efficiency tests and breathability tests were performed according to EN standard 14683 and NIOSH regulations. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Infectious porcine respiratory coronavirus and murine norovirus remained detectable on masks and respirators up to five and seven days of passive decontamination. Single and multiple cycles of VHP-, UVGI-, and DH were shown to not adversely affect bacterial filtration efficiency of masks. Single- and multiple UVGI did not adversely affect respirator filtration efficiency, while VHP and DH induced a decrease in filtration efficiency after one or three decontamination cycles. Multiple cycles of VHP-, UVGI-, and DH slightly decreased airflow resistance of masks but did not adversely affect respirator breathability. VHP and UVGI efficiently inactivated both viruses after five, DH after three, decontamination cycles, permitting demonstration of a loss of infectivity by more than three orders of magnitude. This multi-disciplinal approach provides important information on how often a given PPE item may be safely reused.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louisa F. Ludwig-Begall
- Department of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Veterinary Virology and Animal Viral Diseases, FARAH Research Centre, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Liège University, Liège, Belgium
| | - Constance Wielick
- Department of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Veterinary Virology and Animal Viral Diseases, FARAH Research Centre, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Liège University, Liège, Belgium
| | - Olivier Jolois
- Centexbel Textile Research Centre, Grace-Hollogne, Belgium
| | - Lorène Dams
- Department of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Veterinary Virology and Animal Viral Diseases, FARAH Research Centre, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Liège University, Liège, Belgium
| | - Ravo M. Razafimahefa
- Department of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Veterinary Virology and Animal Viral Diseases, FARAH Research Centre, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Liège University, Liège, Belgium
| | - Hans Nauwynck
- Laboratory of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | | | - Aurore Napp
- Department of Hospital Pharmacy, The University Hospital Center, Liège University, Liège, Belgium
| | - Jan Laperre
- Centexbel Textile Research Centre, Grace-Hollogne, Belgium
| | - Etienne Thiry
- Department of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Veterinary Virology and Animal Viral Diseases, FARAH Research Centre, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Liège University, Liège, Belgium
| | - Eric Haubruge
- TERRA Research Centre, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, Liège University, Gembloux, Belgium
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Sobolik JS, Sajewski ET, Jaykus LA, Cooper DK, Lopman BA, Kraay ANM, Ryan PB, Leon JS. Controlling risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in essential workers of enclosed food manufacturing facilities. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2021:2021.05.14.21257244. [PMID: 34031667 PMCID: PMC8142669 DOI: 10.1101/2021.05.14.21257244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 global pandemic poses significant health risks to workers who are essential to maintaining the food supply chain. Using a quantitative risk assessment model, this study characterized the impact of risk reduction strategies for controlling SARS-CoV-2 transmission (droplet, aerosol, fomite-mediated) among front-line workers in a representative enclosed food manufacturing facility. We simulated: 1) individual and cumulative SARS-CoV-2 infection risks from close contact (droplet and aerosols at 1-3m), aerosol, and fomite-mediated exposures to a susceptible worker following exposure to an infected worker during an 8h-shift; and 2) the relative reduction in SARS-CoV-2 infection risk attributed to infection control interventions (physical distancing, mask use, ventilation, surface disinfection, hand hygiene). Without mitigation measures, the SARS-CoV-2 infection risk was largest for close contact (droplet and aerosol) at 1m (0.96, 95%CI: 0.67-1.0). In comparison, risk associated with fomite (0.26, 95%CI: 0.10-0.56) or aerosol exposure alone (0.05, 95%CI: 0.01-0.13) at 1m distance was substantially lower (73-95%). At 1m, droplet transmission predominated over aerosol and fomite-mediated transmission, however, this changed by 3m, with aerosols comprising the majority of the exposure dose. Increasing physical distancing reduced risk by 84% (1 to 2m) and 91% (1 to 3m). Universal mask use reduced infection risk by 52-88%, depending on mask type. Increasing ventilation (from 0.1 to 2-8 air changes/hour) resulted in risk reductions of 14-54% (1m) and 55-85% (2m). Combining these strategies, together with handwashing and surface disinfection, resulted in <1% infection risk. Current industry SARS-CoV-2 risk reduction strategies, particularly when bundled, provide significant protection to essential food workers. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Using mathematical modeling, we find that workers in enclosed food manufacturing facilities are at higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection from close contact transmission (exposure to large droplets and small aerosol particles) than fomite transmission. Thus, strategies protecting workers should prioritize close contact transmission pathways, such as physical distancing, universal mask use, and room air changes, with surface disinfection (reducing fomite transmission) and handwashing of secondary importance. Our work supports current international (EU-OSHA), domestic (FDA, OSHA), and food industry-standard guidance for managing COVID-19 transmission in essential workers in the food manufacturing sector. Although our model was designed for an indoor food manufacturing setting, it can be readily adapted to other indoor environments and infectious respiratory pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia S. Sobolik
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA USA
| | | | - Lee-Ann Jaykus
- Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695
| | - D. Kane Cooper
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA USA
| | - Ben A. Lopman
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA USA
| | - Alicia NM. Kraay
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA USA
| | - P. Barry Ryan
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA USA
| | - Juan S. Leon
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA USA
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Mourmouris P, Tzelves L, Roidi C, Fotsali A. COVID-19 transmission: a rapid systematic review of current knowledge. Osong Public Health Res Perspect 2021; 12:54-63. [PMID: 33979995 PMCID: PMC8102883 DOI: 10.24171/j.phrp.2021.12.2.02] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective The objective of this study was to identify the potential and definite sources of transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods Due to time constraints and the acute nature of the pandemic, we searched only PubMed/Medline from inception until January 28, 2021. We analyzed the level of evidence and risk of bias in each category and made suggestions accordingly. Results The virus was traced from its potential origin via possible ways of transmission to the last host. Symptomatic human-to-human transmission remains the driver of the epidemic, but asymptomatic transmission can potentially contribute in a substantial manner. Feces and fomites have both been found to contain viable virus; even though transmission through these routes has not been documented, their contribution cannot be ruled out. Finally, transmission from pregnant women to their children has been found to be low (up to 3%). Conclusion Even though robust outcomes cannot be easily assessed, medical personnel must maintain awareness of the main routes of transmission (via droplets and aerosols from even asymptomatic patients). This is the first attempt to systematically review the existing knowledge to produce a paper with a potentially significant clinical impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panagiotis Mourmouris
- Second Department of Urology, Athens Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Lazaros Tzelves
- Second Department of Urology, Athens Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Christiana Roidi
- Second Department of Urology, Athens Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Anastasia Fotsali
- Second Department of Urology, Athens Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
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Liu YN, Lv ZT, Yang SY, Liu XW. Optical Tracking of the Interfacial Dynamics of Single SARS-CoV-2 Pseudoviruses. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:4115-4122. [PMID: 33566596 PMCID: PMC7885801 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c06962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The frequent detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA in healthcare environments, accommodations, and wastewater has attracted great attention to the risk of viral transmission by environmental fomites. However, the process of SARS-CoV-2 adsorption to exposed surfaces in high-risk environments remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the interfacial dynamics of single SARS-CoV-2 pseudoviruses with plasmonic imaging technology. Through the use of this technique, which has high spatial and temporal resolution, we tracked the collision of viruses at a surface and differentiated their stable adsorption and transient adsorption. We determined the effect of the electrostatic force on virus adhesion by correlating the solution and surface chemistry with the interfacial diffusion velocity and equilibrium position. Viral adsorption was found to be enhanced in real scenarios, such as in simulated saliva. This work not only describes a plasmonic imaging method to examine the interfacial dynamics of a single virus but also provides direct measurements of the factors that regulate the interfacial adsorption of SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus. Such information is valuable for understanding virus transport and environmental transmission and even for designing anticontamination surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Nan Liu
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Urban
Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering,
University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026,
China
| | - Zhen-Ting Lv
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Urban
Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering,
University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026,
China
| | - Si-Yu Yang
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Urban
Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering,
University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026,
China
| | - Xian-Wei Liu
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Urban
Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering,
University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026,
China
- Department of Applied Chemistry,
University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026,
China
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37
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Effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 Decontamination and Containment in a COVID-19 ICU. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18052479. [PMID: 33802332 PMCID: PMC7967612 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18052479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Background: Health care systems in the United States are continuously expanding and contracting spaces to treat patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in intensive care units (ICUs). As a result, hospitals must effectively decontaminate and contain severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in constructed and deconstructed ICUs that care for patients with COVID-19. We assessed decontamination of a COVID-19 ICU and examined the containment efficacy of combined contact and droplet precautions in creating and maintaining a SARS-CoV-2–negative ICU “antechamber”. Methods: To examine the efficacy of chemical decontamination, we used high-density, semi-quantitative environmental sampling to detect SARS-CoV-2 on surfaces in a COVID-19 ICU and COVID-19 ICU antechamber. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to measure viral RNA on surfaces. Viral location mapping revealed the distribution of viral RNA in the COVID-19 ICU and COVID-19 ICU antechamber. Results were further assessed using loop-mediated isothermal amplification. Results: We collected 224 surface samples pre-decontamination and 193 samples post-decontamination from a COVID-19 ICU and adjoining COVID-19 ICU antechamber. We found that 46% of antechamber objects were positive for SARS-CoV-2 pre-decontamination despite the construction of a swinging door barrier system, implementation of contact precautions, and installation of high-efficiency particulate air filters. The object positivity rate reduced to 32.1% and viral particle rate reduced by 95.4% following decontamination. Matched items had an average of 432.2 ± 2729 viral copies/cm2 pre-decontamination and 19.2 ± 118 viral copies/cm2 post-decontamination, demonstrating significantly reduced viral surface distribution (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Environmental sampling is an effective method for evaluating decontamination protocols and validating measures used to contain SARS-CoV-2 viral particles. While chemical decontamination effectively removes detectable viral RNA from surfaces, our approach to droplet/contact containment with an antechamber was not highly effective. These data suggest that hospitals should plan for the potential of aerosolized virions when creating strategies to contain SARS-CoV-2.
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