Environmental surface sampling for SARS-CoV-2 around hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in a tertiary care hospital

Authors

  • Varun Goel Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology, Government Institute of Medical Sciences, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9194-727X
  • Savita Gupta Assistant Professor, Department of Anaesthesia, Government Institute of Medical Sciences, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3104-7368
  • Vivek Gupta Associate Professor, Department of Pathology, Government Institute of Medical Sciences, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7830-4616
  • Ajay Kumar Sahni Professor and Head, Department of Microbiology, Government Institute of Medical Sciences, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3126/ajms.v13i2.41266

Keywords:

COVID-19, Environmental contamination, SARS-CoV-2, Surface, Transmission, Virus

Abstract

Background: The contamination of patients’ surroundings by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) remains understudied. Discordant findings of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in environmental samples were noted in many reports.

Aims and Objectives: The study assessed the extent and persistence of environmental surface contamination in real-world surfaces around COVID-19 patients.

Materials and Methods: We sampled the surroundings of two intensive care unit (ICU) and one ward that were occupied by laboratory-confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. Frequently touched environmental surfaces near patients were swabbed before and after daily environmental disinfection.

Results: Of 355 environmental samples, 6 (1.69%) were positive by real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction assay. Among those, 5 of 75 ICU samples (6.67%) and 1 of 75 ward environmental samples (1.33%) in the pre-fumigation areas occupied by COVID-19 positive patients were positive. No samples obtained within the first 2 h of fumigation and surface disinfection was found to be positive.

Conclusion: Surrounding environment of symptomatic COVID-19 patients can get contaminated and in cases of asymptomatic COVID-19 patients, contamination of their surroundings was an uncommon phenomenon. Strict contact barrier precaution, routine cleaning with disinfectants are mandatory hospital infection control practices in the management of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2.

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Published

2022-02-01

How to Cite

Goel, V., Gupta, S., Gupta, V., & Sahni, A. K. (2022). Environmental surface sampling for SARS-CoV-2 around hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in a tertiary care hospital. Asian Journal of Medical Sciences, 13(2), 27–31. https://doi.org/10.3126/ajms.v13i2.41266

Issue

Vol. 13 No. 2 (2022)

Section

Original Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2022 Asian Journal of Medical Sciences

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