Surface contamination with SARS-CoV-2: A systematic review

José Gonçalves; Priscilla Gomes da Silva; Luís Reis; Maria São José Nascimento; Tom Koritnik; Metka Paragi; João R Mesquita

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149231

Surface contamination with SARS-CoV-2: A systematic review

Sci Total Environ. 2021 Dec 1:798:149231. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149231. Epub 2021 Jul 24.

Authors

José Gonçalves¹, Priscilla Gomes da Silva², Luís Reis³, Maria São José Nascimento⁴, Tom Koritnik⁵, Metka Paragi⁵, João R Mesquita⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department for Public Health Microbiology Ljubljana, Centre for Medical Microbiology, National Laboratory of Health, Environment and Food, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Institute of Sustainable Processes, University of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain. Electronic address: zemcg5@gmail.com.
² Abel Salazar Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal; Epidemiology Research Unit (EPIunit), Institute of Public Health, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal; LEPABE - Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
³ Abel Salazar Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
⁴ Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto (FFUP), Porto, Portugal.
⁵ Department for Public Health Microbiology Ljubljana, Centre for Medical Microbiology, National Laboratory of Health, Environment and Food, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
⁶ Abel Salazar Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal; Epidemiology Research Unit (EPIunit), Institute of Public Health, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.

Abstract

Little is known about contaminated surfaces as a route of transmission for SARS-CoV- 2 and a systematic review is missing and urgently needed to provide guidelines for future research studies. As such, the aim of the present study was to review the current scientific knowledge and to summarize the existing studies in which SARS-CoV-2 has been detected in inanimate surfaces. This systematic review includes studies since the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, available in PubMed/MEDLINE and Scopus. Duplicate publications were removed, and exclusion criteria was applied to eliminate unrelated studies, resulting in 37 eligible publications. The present study provides the first overview of SARS-CoV-2 detection in surfaces. The highest detection rates occurred in hospitals and healthcare facilities with COVID-19 patients. Contamination with SARS-CoV-2 on surfaces was detected in a wide range of facilities and surfaces. There is a lack of studies performing viability testing for SARS-CoV-2 recovered from surfaces, and consequently it is not yet possible to assess the potential for transmission via surfaces.

Keywords: COVID-19; Environmental contamination; Environmental health; Public health; SARS-CoV-2.

Publication types

Review
Systematic Review

MeSH terms

COVID-19*
Drug Contamination
Hospitals
Humans
RNA, Viral
SARS-CoV-2*

Substances

RNA, Viral