A comparison of persistence of SARS-CoV-2 variants on stainless steel

T Pottage; I Garratt; O Onianwa; A Spencer; S Paton; N Q Verlander; J Dunning; A Bennett

doi:10.1016/j.jhin.2021.05.015

A comparison of persistence of SARS-CoV-2 variants on stainless steel

J Hosp Infect. 2021 Aug:114:163-166. doi: 10.1016/j.jhin.2021.05.015. Epub 2021 Jun 26.

Authors

T Pottage¹, I Garratt², O Onianwa², A Spencer², S Paton², N Q Verlander³, J Dunning⁴, A Bennett²

Affiliations

¹ Public Health England, National Infection Service, Porton Down, UK. Electronic address: thomas.pottage@phe.gov.uk.
² Public Health England, National Infection Service, Porton Down, UK.
³ Statistics, Modelling and Economics Department, National Infection Service, Public Health England, UK.
⁴ Emerging Infections and Zoonoses, National Infection Service, Public Health England, UK; NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, UK.

Abstract

The survival of newer variants of SARS-CoV-2 on a representative surface has been compared to the established UK circulating isolate to determine whether enhanced environmental stability could play a part in their increased transmissibility. Stainless steel coupons were inoculated with liquid cultures of the three variants, with coupons recovered over seven days and processed for recoverable viable virus using plaque assay. After drying, there was no significant difference in inactivation rates between variants, indicating that there is no increased environmental persistence from the new variants.

Keywords: COVID-19; Environmental persistence; SARS-CoV-2; Stainless steel; Virology.

MeSH terms

COVID-19
Equipment Contamination*
Humans
SARS-CoV-2*
Stainless Steel*

Substances

Stainless Steel

Grants and funding

MC_PC_19064/MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom