Investigation of SARS-CoV-2 Genome in the Indoor Air and High-Touch Surfaces

Iman Hadavi; Majid Hashemi; Gholamreza Asadikaram; Davood Kalantar-Neyestanaki; Ali Hosseininasab; Tooba Darijani; Maryam Faraji

doi:10.1007/s41742-022-00462-1

Investigation of SARS-CoV-2 Genome in the Indoor Air and High-Touch Surfaces

Int J Environ Res. 2022;16(6):103. doi: 10.1007/s41742-022-00462-1. Epub 2022 Oct 14.

Authors

Iman Hadavi^{1

2}, Majid Hashemi^{1

2}, Gholamreza Asadikaram³, Davood Kalantar-Neyestanaki^{4

5}, Ali Hosseininasab⁶, Tooba Darijani², Maryam Faraji^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Environmental Health Engineering Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
² Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Public Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
³ Department of Biochemistry, Afzalipour Faculty of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
⁴ Medical Mycology and Bacteriology Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
⁵ Department of Medical Microbiology (Bacteriology and Virology), Afzalipour Faculty of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
⁶ Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the presence/absence of SARS-CoV-2 genome in the air and high-touch surfaces. This cross-sectional study was conducted from late-2020 to mid-2021 in the sections of Intensive Care Unit (ICU), emergency, infectious disease ward, and nursing station of the COVID-19 patient reception center in Kerman, Iran. The presence/absence of SARS-CoV-2 genome in the 60 samples of high-touch surfaces and 23 air samples was analyzed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Fisher's exact test was used to compare the number of positive samples in different sampling sites. The genome of SARS-CoV-2 was found in the eight samples (13.32%) taken from the high-touch surfaces (two samples in COVID-19 ICU, two samples in general ICU, two samples in emergency ward, and two samples in nursing station) and two air samples (8.70%) (one sample in the general ICU and one sample in the emergency ward). Statistical analysis showed that there was no significant difference between the type of sampling site and the positive cases of SARS-CoV-2 in the surface samples (p value = 0.80) and air samples (p value = 0.22). According to the results, the SARS-CoV-2 can find in the high-touch surfaces and indoor air of the COVID-19 patient reception centers. Therefore, suitable safety and health measures should be taken, including regular and accurate disinfection of surfaces and equipment and proper ventilation to protect healthcare workers and prevent disease transmission. More studies are recommended to investigate the SARS-CoV-2 concentration in the high-touch surfaces and air samples in the similar researches, efficacy of different disinfectants used on the high-touch surfaces and compare the effect of type of ventilation (natural or mechanical) on the viral load.

Keywords: High-touch surfaces; Indoor air; Kerman; SARS-CoV-2.

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