ArticleInfluenza and other respiratory viruses2020
SARS-CoV-2 environmental contamination associated with persistently infected COVID-19 patients.
Article in Influenza and other respiratory viruses, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 45 papers, 8 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
45 citing papers in PubMed, 8 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- SARS-CoV-2 air sampling: A systematic review on the methodologies for detection and infectivity.Indoor air · 2022Pooled it
- A review on measurements of SARS-CoV-2 genetic material in air in outdoor and indoor environments: Implication for airborne transmission.The Science of the total environment · 2022Pooled it
- Contamination of Air and Surfaces in Workplaces with SARS-CoV-2 Virus: A Systematic Review.Annals of work exposures and health · 2021Pooled it
- SARS-CoV-2: a systematic review of indoor air sampling for virus detection.Environmental science and pollution research international · 2021Pooled it
- Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA on inanimate surfaces: a systematic review and meta-analysis.European journal of epidemiology · 2021Pooled it
- Airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 via aerosols.Reviews in medical virology · 2021Pooled it
- [Is Disinfection of Public Surfaces useful for the Prevention of SARS-CoV-2 Infections?]Gesundheitswesen (Bundesverband der Arzte des Offentlichen Gesundheitsdienstes (Germany)) · 2021Pooled it
- Assessment of Air Contamination by SARS-CoV-2 in Hospital Settings.JAMA network open · 2020Pooled it
- Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in bioaerosols and surface samples from healthcare facilities in Klang Valley, Malaysia.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Creating respiratory pathogen-free environments in healthcare and nursing-care settings: a comprehensive review.GeroScience · 2025Review
- Lack of SARS-CoV-2 in environmental samples collected from September 2020-February 2021 in a university that followed CDC reopening guidance.Hygiene and environmental health advances · 2023Article
- Virus-laden droplet nuclei in vortical structures associated with recirculation zones in indoor environments: A possible airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2.Environmental advances · 2023Review
- Application of nanotechnology in air purifiers as a viable approach to protect against Corona virus.IET nanobiotechnology · 2023Review
- Article
- Building a Covid-19 secure intensive care unit: A human-centred design approach.Journal of the Intensive Care Society · 2023Article
- Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the workplace: Key findings from a rapid review of the literature.Aerosol science and technology : the journal of the American Association for Aerosol Research · 2023Article
- Investigation on the effectiveness of ventilation dilution on mitigating COVID-19 patients' secondary airway damage due to exposure to disinfectants.Building and environment · 2023Article
- SARS-CoV-2 indoor environment contamination with epidemiological and experimental investigations.Indoor air · 2022Article
- Measuring SARS-CoV-2 aerosolization in rooms of hospitalized patients.Laryngoscope investigative otolaryngology · 2022Article
- Dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 spreading under the influence of environmental factors and strategies to tackle the pandemic: A systematic review.Sustainable cities and society · 2022Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
20 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundSevere COVID-19 patients typically test positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA for extended periods of time, even after recovery from severe disease. Due to the timeframe involved, these patients may have developed humoral immunity to SARS-CoV-2 while still testing positive for viral RNA in swabs. Data are lacking on exposure risks in these situations. Here, we studied SARS-CoV-2 environmental contamination in an ICU and an isolation ward caring for such COVID-19 patients.
methodsWe collected air and surface samples in a hospital caring for critical and severe COVID-19 cases from common areas and areas proximal to patients.
resultsOf the 218 ICU samples, an air sample contained SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Of the 182 isolation ward samples, nine contained SARS-CoV-2 RNA. These were collected from a facemask, the floor, mobile phones, and the air in the patient room and bathroom. Serum antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 were detected in these patients at the beginning of the study.
conclusionsWhile there is a perception of increased risk in the ICU, our study demonstrates that isolation wards may pose greater risks to healthcare workers and exposure risks remain with clinically improved patients, weeks after their initial diagnoses. As these patients had serum antibodies, further studies may be warranted to study the utility of serum antibodies as a surrogate of viral clearance in allowing people to return to work. We recommend continued vigilance even with patients who appear to have recovered from COVID-19.
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