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Aranega-Bou P, Pottage T, Fenwick A, D'Costa W, Brown NF, Yaxley N, King MF, Parker ST, Miller D, López-García M, Noakes CJ, Moore G, Bennett A. A 17-month longitudinal surface sampling study carried out on public transport vehicles operating in England during the COVID-19 pandemic identified low levels of SARS-CoV-2 RNA contamination. J Appl Microbiol 2024; 135:lxae095. [PMID: 38637309 DOI: 10.1093/jambio/lxae095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
AIMS To monitor severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA contamination in vehicles operating in England during the pandemic, to better understand transmission risk of SARS-CoV-2 on public transport. METHODS AND RESULTS We collected 1314 surface samples between December 2020 and April 2022 on trains and buses managed by five different transport operators. The presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA was investigated through reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). SARS-CoV-2 RNA was found on 197 (15%) of the 1314 surfaces sampled, including seat head rests, handholds, and air extract grilles, but the levels of RNA recovered on those samples (median value of 23.4, interquartile range: 14.3-35.4, N gene copies per extraction) made the presence of infectious virus at the time of sampling extremely unlikely. However, detection rates varied over time with peaks broadly coinciding with times of high community transmission, when it was more likely that people infected with SARS-CoV-2 were travelling on public transport. CONCLUSION During the pandemic, and as in other public spaces, low levels of SARS-CoV-2 RNA were found on surfaces associated with public transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paz Aranega-Bou
- Biosafety, Air and Water Microbiology Group, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, SP4 0JG Salisbury, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas Pottage
- Biosafety, Air and Water Microbiology Group, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, SP4 0JG Salisbury, United Kingdom
| | - Abigail Fenwick
- Biosafety, Air and Water Microbiology Group, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, SP4 0JG Salisbury, United Kingdom
| | - Wilhemina D'Costa
- Biosafety, Air and Water Microbiology Group, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, SP4 0JG Salisbury, United Kingdom
| | - Natalie F Brown
- Biosafety, Air and Water Microbiology Group, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, SP4 0JG Salisbury, United Kingdom
| | - Nicola Yaxley
- Biosafety, Air and Water Microbiology Group, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, SP4 0JG Salisbury, United Kingdom
| | - Marco-Felipe King
- School of Civil Engineering, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, LS29JT Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Simon T Parker
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, SP4 0JG Salisbury, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel Miller
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, Porton Down, SP4 0JG Salisbury, United Kingdom
| | - Martín López-García
- School of Mathematics, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, LS2 9JT Leeds , United Kingdom
| | - Catherine J Noakes
- School of Civil Engineering, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, LS29JT Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Ginny Moore
- Biosafety, Air and Water Microbiology Group, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, SP4 0JG Salisbury, United Kingdom
| | - Allan Bennett
- Biosafety, Air and Water Microbiology Group, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, SP4 0JG Salisbury, United Kingdom
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2
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Anupong S, Chadsuthi S, Hongsing P, Hurst C, Phattharapornjaroen P, Rad S.M. AH, Fernandez S, Huang AT, Vatanaprasan P, Saethang T, Luk-in S, Storer RJ, Ounjai P, Devanga Ragupathi NK, Kanthawee P, Ngamwongsatit N, Badavath VN, Thuptimdang W, Leelahavanichkul A, Kanjanabuch T, Miyanaga K, Cui L, Nanbo A, Shibuya K, Kupwiwat R, Sano D, Furukawa T, Sei K, Higgins PG, Kicic A, Singer AC, Chatsuwan T, Trowsdale S, Abe S, Ishikawa H, Amarasiri M, Modchang C, Wannigama DL. Exploring indoor and outdoor dust as a potential tool for detection and monitoring of COVID-19 transmission. iScience 2024; 27:109043. [PMID: 38375225 PMCID: PMC10875567 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
This study investigated the potential of using SARS-CoV-2 viral concentrations in dust as an additional surveillance tool for early detection and monitoring of COVID-19 transmission. Dust samples were collected from 8 public locations in 16 districts of Bangkok, Thailand, from June to August 2021. SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentrations in dust were quantified, and their correlation with community case incidence was assessed. Our findings revealed a positive correlation between viral concentrations detected in dust and the relative risk of COVID-19. The highest risk was observed with no delay (0-day lag), and this risk gradually decreased as the lag time increased. We observed an overall decline in viral concentrations in public places during lockdown, closely associated with reduced human mobility. The effective reproduction number for COVID-19 transmission remained above one throughout the study period, suggesting that transmission may persist in locations beyond public areas even after the lockdown measures were in place.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suparinthon Anupong
- Biophysics Group, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Sudarat Chadsuthi
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok 65000, Thailand
| | - Parichart Hongsing
- Mae Fah Luang University Hospital, Chiang Rai, Thailand
- School of Integrative Medicine, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, Thailand
| | - Cameron Hurst
- Molly Wardaguga Research Centre, Charles Darwin University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Statistics, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Phatthranit Phattharapornjaroen
- Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, Department of Surgery, Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg University, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ali Hosseini Rad S.M.
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, Otago 9010, New Zealand
- Center of Excellence in Immunology and Immune-Mediated Diseases, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Stefan Fernandez
- Department of Virology, U.S. Army Medical Directorate, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Angkana T. Huang
- Department of Virology, U.S. Army Medical Directorate, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Thammakorn Saethang
- Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Sirirat Luk-in
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Applied Technology, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Robin James Storer
- Office of Research Affairs, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Puey Ounjai
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Naveen Kumar Devanga Ragupathi
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- Biofilms and Antimicrobial Resistance Consortium of ODA Receiving Countries, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- Division of Microbial Interactions, Department of Research and Development, Bioberrys Healthcare and Research Centre, Vellore 632009, India
| | - Phitsanuruk Kanthawee
- Public Health Major, School of Health Science, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai 57100, Thailand
| | - Natharin Ngamwongsatit
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
| | - Vishnu Nayak Badavath
- School of Pharmacy & Technology Management, SVKM’s Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS), Hyderabad 509301, India
| | - Wanwara Thuptimdang
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand
| | - Asada Leelahavanichkul
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Thai Red Cross Society, Bangkok, Thailand
- Translational Research in Inflammation and Immunology Research Unit (TRIRU), Department of Microbiology, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Talerngsak Kanjanabuch
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Kidney Metabolic Disorders, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Dialysis Policy and Practice Program (DiP3), School of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Peritoneal Dialysis Excellence Center, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Kazuhiko Miyanaga
- Division of Bacteriology, School of Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi, Japan
| | - Longzhu Cui
- Division of Bacteriology, School of Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi, Japan
| | - Asuka Nanbo
- The National Research Center for the Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Kenji Shibuya
- Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Rosalyn Kupwiwat
- Department of Dermatology. Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital. Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Daisuke Sano
- Department of Frontier Sciences for Advanced Environment, Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Takashi Furukawa
- Laboratory of Environmental Hygiene, Department of Health Science, School of Allied Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kitasato University, Minato City, Tokyo 108-8641, Japan
| | - Kazunari Sei
- Laboratory of Environmental Hygiene, Department of Health Science, School of Allied Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kitasato University, Minato City, Tokyo 108-8641, Japan
| | - Paul G. Higgins
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research, Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Anthony Kicic
- Wal-Yan Respiratory Research Centre, Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Nedlands WA 6009, Australia
- Centre for Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine, Medical School, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia
- Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Perth Children’s Hospital, Nedlands WA 6009, Australia
- School of Population Health, Curtin University, Bentley WA 6102, Australia
| | | | - Tanittha Chatsuwan
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Thai Red Cross Society, Bangkok, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Antimicrobial Resistance and Stewardship, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Sam Trowsdale
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Shuichi Abe
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Infection Control, Yamagata Prefectural Central Hospital, Yamagata, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Ishikawa
- Yamagata Prefectural University of Health Sciences, Kamiyanagi, Yamagata 990-2212, Japan
| | - Mohan Amarasiri
- Laboratory of Environmental Hygiene, Department of Health Science, School of Allied Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kitasato University, Minato City, Tokyo 108-8641, Japan
| | - Charin Modchang
- Biophysics Group, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
- Centre of Excellence in Mathematics, MHESI, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
- Thailand Center of Excellence in Physics, Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, 328 Si Ayutthaya Road, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Dhammika Leshan Wannigama
- Biofilms and Antimicrobial Resistance Consortium of ODA Receiving Countries, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Thai Red Cross Society, Bangkok, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Antimicrobial Resistance and Stewardship, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Infection Control, Yamagata Prefectural Central Hospital, Yamagata, Japan
- Yamagata Prefectural University of Health Sciences, Kamiyanagi, Yamagata 990-2212, Japan
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia
- Pathogen Hunter’s Research Collaborative Team, Department of Infectious Diseases and Infection Control, Yamagata Prefectural Central Hospital, Yamagata, Japan
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Cherem J, Alvarenga IM, Coelho ALRM, Souza KST, Rocha DA, de Castro PH, Pylro VS, Barçante JMDP. Environmental surface surveillance during a COVID-19 outbreak in a school community: implications for controlling indirect transmission. Braz J Microbiol 2024; 55:441-445. [PMID: 37996692 PMCID: PMC10920505 DOI: 10.1007/s42770-023-01185-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Environmental surface surveillance is a valuable tool for detecting and controlling infectious diseases. During the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns have been raised regarding the potential for indirect transmission of SARS-CoV-2 via contaminated surfaces. However, few studies have evaluated environmental contamination in non-clinical settings during outbreaks. We conducted a study in a school community during a major outbreak, collecting 35 surface samples from high-traffic areas and testing them for SARS-CoV-2 RNA using RT-qPCR. Our results showed that 31.4% of samples were positive, including high-touch surfaces such as drinking fountains and washbasins. These findings emphasize the importance of environmental monitoring to identify and address specific areas for attention, and implementing such strategies can help prevent the indirect transmission of COVID-19 in various settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Cherem
- Núcleo de Pesquisa Biomédica, Department of Medicine, Federal University of Lavras, Lavras, MG, 37200-900, Brazil
| | - Ingrid Marciano Alvarenga
- Núcleo de Pesquisa Biomédica, Department of Medicine, Federal University of Lavras, Lavras, MG, 37200-900, Brazil
| | | | - Karla Silva Teixeira Souza
- Núcleo de Pesquisa Biomédica, Department of Medicine, Federal University of Lavras, Lavras, MG, 37200-900, Brazil
| | | | - Pedro Henryque de Castro
- Núcleo de Pesquisa Biomédica, Department of Medicine, Federal University of Lavras, Lavras, MG, 37200-900, Brazil
| | - Victor Satler Pylro
- Department of Biology, Federal University of Lavras, Lavras, MG, 37200-900, Brazil.
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Kitamura K, Ueno MK, Yoshida H. Rapid and sensitive on-site detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA from environmental surfaces using portable laboratory devices. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0045623. [PMID: 37791760 PMCID: PMC10715158 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00456-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE This study presents the development of a highly sensitive on-site method for detecting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA on various surfaces, including doorknobs and tables. Identifying SARS-CoV-2 RNA on these surfaces can be crucial in guiding decision-making for implementing non-pharmaceutical interventions, such as zoning strategies, improving ventilation, maintaining physical distancing, and promoting increased hand hygiene practices. Moreover, the on-site detection system can facilitate the swift initiation of mitigation responses in non-laboratory settings, including long-term care facilities and schools. The protocols established in this study offer a comprehensive approach for achieving both sensitivity and rapidity in on-site SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection. Furthermore, since the RT-qPCR assay serves as the gold standard for detecting viral RNAs, the developed protocol holds potential for application to other viruses, including enteroviruses and noroviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kouichi Kitamura
- Department of Virology II, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Musashimurayama-shi, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Minami Kikuchi Ueno
- Department of Virology II, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Musashimurayama-shi, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiromu Yoshida
- Department of Virology II, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Musashimurayama-shi, Tokyo, Japan
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5
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Fielding-Miller R, Karthikeyan S, Gaines T, Garfein RS, Salido RA, Cantu VJ, Kohn L, Martin NK, Wynn A, Wijaya C, Flores M, Omaleki V, Majnoonian A, Gonzalez-Zuniga P, Nguyen M, Vo AV, Le T, Duong D, Hassani A, Tweeten S, Jepsen K, Henson B, Hakim A, Birmingham A, De Hoff P, Mark AM, Nasamran CA, Rosenthal SB, Moshiri N, Fisch KM, Humphrey G, Farmer S, Tubb HM, Valles T, Morris J, Kang J, Khaleghi B, Young C, Akel AD, Eilert S, Eno J, Curewitz K, Laurent LC, Rosing T, Knight R. Safer at school early alert: an observational study of wastewater and surface monitoring to detect COVID-19 in elementary schools. LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH. AMERICAS 2023; 19:100449. [PMID: 36844610 PMCID: PMC9939935 DOI: 10.1016/j.lana.2023.100449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Background Schools are high-risk settings for SARS-CoV-2 transmission, but necessary for children's educational and social-emotional wellbeing. Previous research suggests that wastewater monitoring can detect SARS-CoV-2 infections in controlled residential settings with high levels of accuracy. However, its effective accuracy, cost, and feasibility in non-residential community settings is unknown. Methods The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness and accuracy of community-based passive wastewater and surface (environmental) surveillance to detect SARS-CoV-2 infection in neighborhood schools compared to weekly diagnostic (PCR) testing. We implemented an environmental surveillance system in nine elementary schools with 1700 regularly present staff and students in southern California. The system was validated from November 2020 to March 2021. Findings In 447 data collection days across the nine sites 89 individuals tested positive for COVID-19, and SARS-CoV-2 was detected in 374 surface samples and 133 wastewater samples. Ninety-three percent of identified cases were associated with an environmental sample (95% CI: 88%-98%); 67% were associated with a positive wastewater sample (95% CI: 57%-77%), and 40% were associated with a positive surface sample (95% CI: 29%-52%). The techniques we utilized allowed for near-complete genomic sequencing of wastewater and surface samples. Interpretation Passive environmental surveillance can detect the presence of COVID-19 cases in non-residential community school settings with a high degree of accuracy. Funding County of San Diego, Health and Human Services Agency, National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Centers for Disease Control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Fielding-Miller
- Division of Infectious Disease and Global Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Smruthi Karthikeyan
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Tommi Gaines
- Division of Infectious Disease and Global Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Richard S. Garfein
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Rodolfo A. Salido
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Victor J. Cantu
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Laura Kohn
- Kohn Education Consulting, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Natasha K. Martin
- Division of Infectious Disease and Global Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Adriane Wynn
- Division of Infectious Disease and Global Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Carrissa Wijaya
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Marlene Flores
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Vinton Omaleki
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Araz Majnoonian
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- University of California San Diego and San Diego State University Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Patricia Gonzalez-Zuniga
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Megan Nguyen
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, International Health Social and Behavioral Interventions, 615 N Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Anh V. Vo
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, International Health Social and Behavioral Interventions, 615 N Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Tina Le
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Dawn Duong
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Ashkan Hassani
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Samantha Tweeten
- County of San Diego, Health and Human Services Agency, 1600 Pacific Highway, San Diego, CA, 92101, USA
| | - Kristen Jepsen
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Benjamin Henson
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Abbas Hakim
- Department of Obstetrics Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Amanda Birmingham
- Center for Computational Biology & Bioinformatics, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Peter De Hoff
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Adam M. Mark
- Center for Computational Biology & Bioinformatics, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Chanond A. Nasamran
- Center for Computational Biology & Bioinformatics, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Sara Brin Rosenthal
- Center for Computational Biology & Bioinformatics, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Niema Moshiri
- Department of Computer Science & Engineering, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Kathleen M. Fisch
- Department of Obstetrics Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Center for Computational Biology & Bioinformatics, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Greg Humphrey
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Sawyer Farmer
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Helena M. Tubb
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Tommy Valles
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Justin Morris
- Department of Computer Science & Engineering, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA
| | - Jaeyoung Kang
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Behnam Khaleghi
- Department of Computer Science & Engineering, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Colin Young
- Department of Computer Science & Engineering, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Ameen D. Akel
- Micron Technology, Inc., 7220 Trade Street, San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | - Sean Eilert
- Micron Technology, Inc., 7220 Trade Street, San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | - Justin Eno
- Micron Technology, Inc., 7220 Trade Street, San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | - Ken Curewitz
- Micron Technology, Inc., 7220 Trade Street, San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | - Louise C. Laurent
- University of California San Diego and San Diego State University Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Tajana Rosing
- Department of Computer Science & Engineering, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Rob Knight
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
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6
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SARS-CoV-2 RNA Is Readily Detectable at Least 8 Months after Shedding in an Isolation Facility. mSphere 2022; 7:e0017722. [PMID: 36218344 PMCID: PMC9769851 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00177-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Environmental monitoring of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) for research and public health purposes has grown exponentially throughout the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Monitoring wastewater for SARS-CoV-2 provides early warning signals of virus spread and information on trends in infections at a community scale. Indoor environmental monitoring (e.g., swabbing of surfaces and air filters) to identify potential outbreaks is less common, and the evidence for its utility is mixed. A significant challenge with surface and air filter monitoring in this context is the concern of "relic RNA," noninfectious RNA found in the environment that is not from recently deposited virus. Here, we report detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA on surfaces in an isolation unit (a university dorm room) for up to 8 months after a COVID-19-positive individual vacated the space. Comparison of sequencing results from the same location over two time points indicated the presence of the entire viral genome, and sequence similarity confirmed a single source of the virus. Our findings highlight the need to develop approaches that account for relic RNA in environmental monitoring. IMPORTANCE Environmental monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 is rapidly becoming a key tool in infectious disease research and public health surveillance. Such monitoring offers a complementary and sometimes novel perspective on population-level incidence dynamics relative to that of clinical studies by potentially allowing earlier, broader, more affordable, less biased, and less invasive identification. Environmental monitoring can assist public health officials and others when deploying resources to areas of need and provides information on changes in the pandemic over time. Environmental surveillance of the genetic material of infectious agents (RNA and DNA) in wastewater became widely applied during the COVID-19 pandemic. There has been less research on other types of environmental samples, such as surfaces, which could be used to indicate that someone in a particular space was shedding virus. One challenge with surface surveillance is that the noninfectious genetic material from a pathogen (e.g., RNA from SARS-CoV-2) may be detected in the environment long after an infected individual has left the space. This study aimed to determine how long SARS-CoV-2 RNA could be detected in a room after a COVID-positive person had been housed there.
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Mihajlovski K, Buttner MP, Cruz P, Labus B, St. Pierre Schneider B, Detrick E. SARS-CoV-2 surveillance with environmental surface sampling in public areas. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0278061. [PMID: 36417446 PMCID: PMC9683569 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Contaminated surfaces are one of the ways that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may be transmitted. SARS-CoV-2 can be detected on environmental surfaces; however, few environmental sampling studies have been conducted in nonclinical settings. The objective of this study was to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA on environmental surfaces in public areas in Las Vegas, Nevada. In total, 300 surface samples were collected from high-touch surfaces from high-congregate public locations and from a public health facility (PHF) that was visited by COVID-19 patients. Environmental samples were analyzed with quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) using SARS-CoV-2 specific primers and probes for three target genes. Results showed that 31 out of 300 (10.3%) surface samples tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, 24 at the PHF and 7 in high-congregate public locations. Concentrations ranged from 102 to 106 viral particles per 3 ml sample on a wide variety of materials. The data also showed that the N gene assay had greater sensitivity compared to the S and ORF gene assays. Besides frequently touched surfaces, SARS-CoV-2 was detected in restrooms, on floors and surfaces in contact with floors, as well as in a mop water sample. The results of this study describe the extent and distribution of environmental SARS-CoV-2 contamination in public areas in Las Vegas, Nevada. A method using the N gene PCR assay was developed for SARS-CoV-2 environmental monitoring in public areas. Environmental monitoring with this method can determine the specific sites of surface contamination in the community and may be beneficial for prevention of COVID-19 indirect transmission, and evaluation and improvement of infection control practices in public areas, public health facilities, universities, and businesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Mihajlovski
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Mark P. Buttner
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, United States of America
| | - Patricia Cruz
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, United States of America
| | - Brian Labus
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, United States of America
| | - Barbara St. Pierre Schneider
- Graduate Nursing Department, College of Nursing and Health Innovation, The University of Texas at Arlington, TX, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth Detrick
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, United States of America
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Cimolai N. Disinfection and decontamination in the context of SARS-CoV-2-specific data. J Med Virol 2022; 94:4654-4668. [PMID: 35758523 PMCID: PMC9350315 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.27959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Given the high transmissibility of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) as witnessed early in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, concerns arose with the existing methods for virus disinfection and decontamination. The need for SARS-CoV-2-specific data stimulated considerable research in this regard. Overall, SARS-CoV-2 is practically and equally susceptible to approaches for disinfection and decontamination that have been previously found for other human or animal coronaviruses. The latter have included techniques utilizing temperature modulation, pH extremes, irradiation, and chemical treatments. These physicochemical methods are a necessary adjunct to other prevention strategies, given the environmental and patient surface ubiquity of the virus. Classic studies of disinfection have also allowed for extrapolation to the eradication of the virus on human mucosal surfaces by some chemical means. Despite considerable laboratory study, practical field assessments are generally lacking and need to be encouraged to confirm the correlation of interventions with viral eradication and infection prevention. Transparency in the constitution and use of any method or chemical is also essential to furthering practical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nevio Cimolai
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of MedicineThe University of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory MedicineChildren's and Women's Health Centre of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
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Cantú VJ, Belda-Ferre P, Salido RA, Tsai R, Austin B, Jordan W, Asudani M, Walster A, Magallanes CG, Valentine H, Manjoonian A, Wijaya C, Omaleki V, Sanders K, Aigner S, Baer NA, Betty M, Castro-Martínez A, Cheung W, Crescini ES, De Hoff P, Eisner E, Hakim A, Kapadia B, Lastrella AL, Lawrence ES, Ngo TT, Ostrander T, Sathe S, Seaver P, Smoot EW, Carlin AF, Yeo GW, Laurent LC, Manlutac AL, Fielding-Miller R, Knight R. Implementation of Practical Surface SARS-CoV-2 Surveillance in School Settings. mSystems 2022; 7:e0010322. [PMID: 35703437 PMCID: PMC9426517 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00103-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Surface sampling for SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection has shown considerable promise to detect exposure of built environments to infected individuals shedding virus who would not otherwise be detected. Here, we compare two popular sampling media (VTM and SDS) and two popular workflows (Thermo and PerkinElmer) for implementation of a surface sampling program suitable for environmental monitoring in public schools. We find that the SDS/Thermo pipeline shows superior sensitivity and specificity, but that the VTM/PerkinElmer pipeline is still sufficient to support surface surveillance in any indoor setting with stable cohorts of occupants (e.g., schools, prisons, group homes, etc.) and may be used to leverage existing investments in infrastructure. IMPORTANCE The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has claimed the lives of over 5 million people worldwide. Due to high density occupancy of indoor spaces for prolonged periods of time, schools are often of concern for transmission, leading to widespread school closings to combat pandemic spread when cases rise. Since pediatric clinical testing is expensive and difficult from a consent perspective, we have deployed surface sampling in SASEA (Safer at School Early Alert), which allows for detection of SARS-CoV-2 from surfaces within a classroom. In this previous work, we developed a high-throughput method which requires robotic automation and specific reagents that are often not available for public health laboratories such as the San Diego County Public Health Laboratory (SDPHL). Therefore, we benchmarked our method (Thermo pipeline) against SDPHL's (PerkinElmer) more widely used method for the detection and prediction of SARS-CoV-2 exposure. While our method shows superior sensitivity (false-negative rate of 9% versus 27% for SDPHL), the SDPHL pipeline is sufficient to support surface surveillance in indoor settings. These findings are important since they show that existing investments in infrastructure can be leveraged to slow the spread of SARS-CoV-2 not in just the classroom but also in prisons, nursing homes, and other high-risk, indoor settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor J. Cantú
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Pedro Belda-Ferre
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Rodolfo A. Salido
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Rebecca Tsai
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Brett Austin
- San Diego County Public Health Lab, San Diego, California, USA
| | - William Jordan
- San Diego County Public Health Lab, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Menka Asudani
- San Diego County Public Health Lab, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Amanda Walster
- San Diego County Public Health Lab, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Celestine G. Magallanes
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Sanford Consortium of Regenerative Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Holly Valentine
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Sanford Consortium of Regenerative Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Araz Manjoonian
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Carrissa Wijaya
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Vinton Omaleki
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Karenina Sanders
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Stefan Aigner
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Sanford Consortium of Regenerative Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Nathan A. Baer
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Maryann Betty
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Rady Children's Hospital, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Anelizze Castro-Martínez
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Willi Cheung
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Sanford Consortium of Regenerative Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Evelyn S. Crescini
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Peter De Hoff
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Sanford Consortium of Regenerative Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Emily Eisner
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Abbas Hakim
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Bhavika Kapadia
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Alma L. Lastrella
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Elijah S. Lawrence
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Toan T. Ngo
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Tyler Ostrander
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Shashank Sathe
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Sanford Consortium of Regenerative Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Phoebe Seaver
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Elizabeth W. Smoot
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Aaron F. Carlin
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Gene W. Yeo
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Sanford Consortium of Regenerative Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Louise C. Laurent
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Sanford Consortium of Regenerative Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | | | - Rebecca Fielding-Miller
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Rob Knight
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
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10
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Cantú VJ, Sanders K, Belda-Ferre P, Salido RA, Tsai R, Austin B, Jordan W, Asudani M, Walster A, Magallanes CG, Valentine H, Manjoonian A, Wijaya C, Omaleki V, Aigner S, Baer NA, Betty M, Castro-Martínez A, Cheung W, De Hoff P, Eisner E, Hakim A, Lastrella AL, Lawrence ES, Ngo TT, Ostrander T, Plascencia A, Sathe S, Smoot EW, Carlin AF, Yeo GW, Laurent LC, Manlutac AL, Fielding-Miller R, Knight R. Sentinel Cards Provide Practical SARS-CoV-2 Monitoring in School Settings. mSystems 2022; 7:e0010922. [PMID: 35703436 PMCID: PMC9426498 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00109-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
A promising approach to help students safely return to in person learning is through the application of sentinel cards for accurate high resolution environmental monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 traces indoors. Because SARS-CoV-2 RNA can persist for up to a week on several indoor surface materials, there is a need for increased temporal resolution to determine whether consecutive surface positives arise from new infection events or continue to report past events. Cleaning sentinel cards after sampling would provide the needed resolution but might interfere with assay performance. We tested the effect of three cleaning solutions (BZK wipes, Wet Wipes, RNase Away) at three different viral loads: "high" (4 × 104 GE/mL), "medium" (1 × 104 GE/mL), and "low" (2.5 × 103 GE/mL). RNase Away, chosen as a positive control, was the most effective cleaning solution on all three viral loads. Wet Wipes were found to be more effective than BZK wipes in the medium viral load condition. The low viral load condition was easily reset with all three cleaning solutions. These findings will enable temporal SARS-CoV-2 monitoring in indoor environments where transmission risk of the virus is high and the need to avoid individual-level sampling for privacy or compliance reasons exists. IMPORTANCE Because SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, persists on surfaces, testing swabs taken from surfaces is useful as a monitoring tool. This approach is especially valuable in school settings, where there are cost and privacy concerns that are eliminated by taking a single sample from a classroom. However, the virus persists for days to weeks on surface samples, so it is impossible to tell whether positive detection events on consecutive days are a persistent signal or new infectious cases and therefore whether the positive individuals have been successfully removed from the classroom. We compare several methods for cleaning "sentinel cards" to show that this approach can be used to identify new SARS-CoV-2 signals day to day. The results are important for determining how to monitor classrooms and other indoor environments for SARS-CoV-2 virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor J. Cantú
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Karenina Sanders
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Pedro Belda-Ferre
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Rodolfo A. Salido
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Rebecca Tsai
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Brett Austin
- San Diego County Public Health Lab, San Diego, California, USA
| | - William Jordan
- San Diego County Public Health Lab, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Menka Asudani
- San Diego County Public Health Lab, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Amanda Walster
- San Diego County Public Health Lab, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Celestine G. Magallanes
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Sanford Consortium of Regenerative Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Holly Valentine
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Sanford Consortium of Regenerative Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Araz Manjoonian
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Carrissa Wijaya
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Vinton Omaleki
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Stefan Aigner
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Sanford Consortium of Regenerative Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Nathan A. Baer
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Maryann Betty
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Rady Children's Hospital, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Anelizze Castro-Martínez
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Willi Cheung
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Sanford Consortium of Regenerative Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Peter De Hoff
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Sanford Consortium of Regenerative Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Emily Eisner
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Abbas Hakim
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Alma L. Lastrella
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Elijah S. Lawrence
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Toan T. Ngo
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Tyler Ostrander
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Ashley Plascencia
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Shashank Sathe
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Sanford Consortium of Regenerative Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Elizabeth W. Smoot
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Aaron F. Carlin
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Gene W. Yeo
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Sanford Consortium of Regenerative Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Louise C. Laurent
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Sanford Consortium of Regenerative Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | | | - Rebecca Fielding-Miller
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Rob Knight
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
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11
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Cantú VJ, Salido RA, Huang S, Rahman G, Tsai R, Valentine H, Magallanes CG, Aigner S, Baer NA, Barber T, Belda-Ferre P, Betty M, Bryant M, Casas Maya M, Castro-Martínez A, Chacón M, Cheung W, Crescini ES, De Hoff P, Eisner E, Farmer S, Hakim A, Kohn L, Lastrella AL, Lawrence ES, Morgan SC, Ngo TT, Nouri A, Plascencia A, Ruiz CA, Sathe S, Seaver P, Shwartz T, Smoot EW, Ostrander RT, Valles T, Yeo GW, Laurent LC, Fielding-Miller R, Knight R. SARS-CoV-2 Distribution in Residential Housing Suggests Contact Deposition and Correlates with Rothia sp. mSystems 2022; 7:e0141121. [PMID: 35575492 PMCID: PMC9239251 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.01411-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Monitoring severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on surfaces is emerging as an important tool for identifying past exposure to individuals shedding viral RNA. Our past work demonstrated that SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) signals from surfaces can identify when infected individuals have touched surfaces and when they have been present in hospital rooms or schools. However, the sensitivity and specificity of surface sampling as a method for detecting the presence of a SARS-CoV-2 positive individual, as well as guidance about where to sample, has not been established. To address these questions and to test whether our past observations linking SARS-CoV-2 abundance to Rothia sp. in hospitals also hold in a residential setting, we performed a detailed spatial sampling of three isolation housing units, assessing each sample for SARS-CoV-2 abundance by RT-qPCR, linking the results to 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequences (to assess the bacterial community at each location), and to the Cq value of the contemporaneous clinical test. Our results showed that the highest SARS-CoV-2 load in this setting is on touched surfaces, such as light switches and faucets, but a detectable signal was present in many untouched surfaces (e.g., floors) that may be more relevant in settings, such as schools where mask-wearing is enforced. As in past studies, the bacterial community predicts which samples are positive for SARS-CoV-2, with Rothia sp. showing a positive association. IMPORTANCE Surface sampling for detecting SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is increasingly being used to locate infected individuals. We tested which indoor surfaces had high versus low viral loads by collecting 381 samples from three residential units where infected individuals resided, and interpreted the results in terms of whether SARS-CoV-2 was likely transmitted directly (e.g., touching a light switch) or indirectly (e.g., by droplets or aerosols settling). We found the highest loads where the subject touched the surface directly, although enough virus was detected on indirectly contacted surfaces to make such locations useful for sampling (e.g., in schools, where students did not touch the light switches and also wore masks such that they had no opportunity to touch their face and then the object). We also documented links between the bacteria present in a sample and the SARS-CoV-2 virus, consistent with earlier studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor J Cantú
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diegogrid.266100.3, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Rodolfo A Salido
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diegogrid.266100.3, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Shi Huang
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Gibraan Rahman
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Rebecca Tsai
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Holly Valentine
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Celestine G Magallanes
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Stefan Aigner
- Sanford Consortium of Regenerative Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Nathan A Baer
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Tom Barber
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Pedro Belda-Ferre
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Maryann Betty
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Rady Children's Hospital, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - MacKenzie Bryant
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Martín Casas Maya
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Anelizze Castro-Martínez
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Marisol Chacón
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Willi Cheung
- Sanford Consortium of Regenerative Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Evelyn S Crescini
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Peter De Hoff
- Sanford Consortium of Regenerative Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Emily Eisner
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Sawyer Farmer
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Abbas Hakim
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Laura Kohn
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health, University of California San Diegogrid.266100.3, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Alma L Lastrella
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Elijah S Lawrence
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Sydney C Morgan
- Sanford Consortium of Regenerative Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Toan T Ngo
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Alhakam Nouri
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Ashley Plascencia
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Christopher A Ruiz
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Shashank Sathe
- Sanford Consortium of Regenerative Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Phoebe Seaver
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Tara Shwartz
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Elizabeth W Smoot
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - R Tyler Ostrander
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Thomas Valles
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Gene W Yeo
- Sanford Consortium of Regenerative Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Louise C Laurent
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Rebecca Fielding-Miller
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health, University of California San Diegogrid.266100.3, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Rob Knight
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diegogrid.266100.3, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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12
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Delgado Corrales B, Kaiser R, Nerlich P, Agraviador A, Sherry A. BioMateriOME: To understand microbe-material interactions within sustainable, living architectures. ADVANCES IN APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY 2022; 122:77-126. [PMID: 37085194 DOI: 10.1016/bs.aambs.2022.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
BioMateriOME evolved from a prototyping process which was informed from discussions between a team of designers, architects and microbiologists, when considering constructing with biomaterials or human cohabitation with novel living materials in the built environment. The prototype has two elements (i) BioMateriOME-Public (BMP), an interactive public materials library, and (ii) BioMateriOME-eXperimental (BMX), a replicated materials library for rigorous microbiome experimentation. The prototype was installed into the OME, a unique experimental living house, in order to (1) gain insights into society's perceptions of living materials, and (2) perform a comparative analysis of indoor surface microbiome development on novel biomaterials in contrast to conventional indoor surfaces, respectively. This review summarizes the BioMateriOME prototype and its use as a tool in combining microbiology, design, architecture and social science. The use of microbiology and biological components in the fabrication of biomaterials is provided, together with an appreciation of the microbial communities common to conventional indoor surfaces, and how these communities may change in response to the implementation of living materials in our homes. Societal perceptions of microbiomes and biomaterials, are considered within the framework of healthy architecture. Finally, features of architectural design with microbes in mind are introduced, with the possibility of codifying microbial surveillance into design and construction benchmarks, standards and regulations toward healthier buildings and their occupants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Delgado Corrales
- Hub for Biotechnology in the Built Environment, Department of Applied Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Romy Kaiser
- Hub for Biotechnology in the Built Environment, School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Paula Nerlich
- Hub for Biotechnology in the Built Environment, School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Armand Agraviador
- Hub for Biotechnology in the Built Environment, School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Angela Sherry
- Hub for Biotechnology in the Built Environment, Department of Applied Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.
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13
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Cantú VJ, Salido RA, Huang S, Rahman G, Tsai R, Valentine H, Magallanes CG, Aigner S, Baer NA, Barber T, Belda-Ferre P, Betty M, Bryant M, Maya MC, Castro-Martínez A, Chacón M, Cheung W, Crescini ES, De Hoff P, Eisner E, Farmer S, Hakim A, Kohn L, Lastrella AL, Lawrence ES, Morgan SC, Ngo TT, Nouri A, Ostrander RT, Plascencia A, Ruiz CA, Sathe S, Seaver P, Shwartz T, Smoot EW, Valles T, Yeo GW, Laurent LC, Fielding-Miller R, Knight R. SARS-CoV-2 Distribution in Residential Housing Suggests Contact Deposition and Correlates with Rothia sp. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2021. [PMID: 34909793 DOI: 10.1101/2021.03.16.21253743v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Monitoring severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on surfaces is emerging as an important tool for identifying past exposure to individuals shedding viral RNA. Our past work has demonstrated that SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) signals from surfaces can identify when infected individuals have touched surfaces such as Halloween candy, and when they have been present in hospital rooms or schools. However, the sensitivity and specificity of surface sampling as a method for detecting the presence of a SARS-CoV-2 positive individual, as well as guidance about where to sample, has not been established. To address these questions, and to test whether our past observations linking SARS-CoV-2 abundance to Rothia spp. in hospitals also hold in a residential setting, we performed detailed spatial sampling of three isolation housing units, assessing each sample for SARS-CoV-2 abundance by RT-qPCR, linking the results to 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequences to assess the bacterial community at each location and to the Cq value of the contemporaneous clinical test. Our results show that the highest SARS-CoV-2 load in this setting is on touched surfaces such as light switches and faucets, but detectable signal is present in many non-touched surfaces that may be more relevant in settings such as schools where mask wearing is enforced. As in past studies, the bacterial community predicts which samples are positive for SARS-CoV-2, with Rothia sp. showing a positive association. IMPORTANCE Surface sampling for detecting SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is increasingly being used to locate infected individuals. We tested which indoor surfaces had high versus low viral loads by collecting 381 samples from three residential units where infected individuals resided, and interpreted the results in terms of whether SARS-CoV-2 was likely transmitted directly (e.g. touching a light switch) or indirectly (e.g. by droplets or aerosols settling). We found highest loads where the subject touched the surface directly, although enough virus was detected on indirectly contacted surfaces to make such locations useful for sampling (e.g. in schools, where students do not touch the light switches and also wear masks so they have no opportunity to touch their face and then the object). We also documented links between the bacteria present in a sample and the SARS-CoV-2 virus, consistent with earlier studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor J Cantú
- These authors contributed equally.,Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Rodolfo A Salido
- These authors contributed equally.,Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Shi Huang
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Gibraan Rahman
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA.,Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Rebecca Tsai
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Holly Valentine
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Diego, USA.,Sanford Consortium of Regenerative Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Celestine G Magallanes
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Diego, USA.,Sanford Consortium of Regenerative Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Stefan Aigner
- Sanford Consortium of Regenerative Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA.,Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA.,Dept of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Nathan A Baer
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Tom Barber
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Pedro Belda-Ferre
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Maryann Betty
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA.,Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA.,Rady Children's Hospital, San Diego, CA
| | - MacKenzie Bryant
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Martin Casas Maya
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Anelizze Castro-Martínez
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Marisol Chacón
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Willi Cheung
- Sanford Consortium of Regenerative Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA.,Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA.,San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
| | - Evelyn S Crescini
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Peter De Hoff
- Sanford Consortium of Regenerative Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA.,Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA.,Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Diego, USA
| | - Emily Eisner
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Sawyer Farmer
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Abbas Hakim
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Laura Kohn
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health, University of California, San Diego 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - Alma L Lastrella
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Elijah S Lawrence
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Sydney C Morgan
- Sanford Consortium of Regenerative Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Toan T Ngo
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Alhakam Nouri
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - R Tyler Ostrander
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Ashley Plascencia
- Sanford Consortium of Regenerative Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA.,Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA.,Dept of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Christopher A Ruiz
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Shashank Sathe
- Sanford Consortium of Regenerative Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA.,Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA.,Dept of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Phoebe Seaver
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Tara Shwartz
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Elizabeth W Smoot
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Thomas Valles
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Gene W Yeo
- Sanford Consortium of Regenerative Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA.,Dept of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Louise C Laurent
- Sanford Consortium of Regenerative Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA.,Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Diego, USA
| | - Rebecca Fielding-Miller
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health, University of California, San Diego 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - Rob Knight
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.,Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.,Center for Microbiome Innovation, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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14
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Cantú VJ, Salido RA, Huang S, Rahman G, Tsai R, Valentine H, Magallanes CG, Aigner S, Baer NA, Barber T, Belda-Ferre P, Betty M, Bryant M, Maya MC, Castro-Martínez A, Chacón M, Cheung W, Crescini ES, De Hoff P, Eisner E, Farmer S, Hakim A, Kohn L, Lastrella AL, Lawrence ES, Morgan SC, Ngo TT, Nouri A, Ostrander RT, Plascencia A, Ruiz CA, Sathe S, Seaver P, Shwartz T, Smoot EW, Valles T, Yeo GW, Laurent LC, Fielding-Miller R, Knight R. SARS-CoV-2 Distribution in Residential Housing Suggests Contact Deposition and Correlates with Rothia sp. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2021:2021.12.06.21267101. [PMID: 34909793 PMCID: PMC8669860 DOI: 10.1101/2021.12.06.21267101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Monitoring severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on surfaces is emerging as an important tool for identifying past exposure to individuals shedding viral RNA. Our past work has demonstrated that SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) signals from surfaces can identify when infected individuals have touched surfaces such as Halloween candy, and when they have been present in hospital rooms or schools. However, the sensitivity and specificity of surface sampling as a method for detecting the presence of a SARS-CoV-2 positive individual, as well as guidance about where to sample, has not been established. To address these questions, and to test whether our past observations linking SARS-CoV-2 abundance to Rothia spp. in hospitals also hold in a residential setting, we performed detailed spatial sampling of three isolation housing units, assessing each sample for SARS-CoV-2 abundance by RT-qPCR, linking the results to 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequences to assess the bacterial community at each location and to the Cq value of the contemporaneous clinical test. Our results show that the highest SARS-CoV-2 load in this setting is on touched surfaces such as light switches and faucets, but detectable signal is present in many non-touched surfaces that may be more relevant in settings such as schools where mask wearing is enforced. As in past studies, the bacterial community predicts which samples are positive for SARS-CoV-2, with Rothia sp. showing a positive association. IMPORTANCE Surface sampling for detecting SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is increasingly being used to locate infected individuals. We tested which indoor surfaces had high versus low viral loads by collecting 381 samples from three residential units where infected individuals resided, and interpreted the results in terms of whether SARS-CoV-2 was likely transmitted directly (e.g. touching a light switch) or indirectly (e.g. by droplets or aerosols settling). We found highest loads where the subject touched the surface directly, although enough virus was detected on indirectly contacted surfaces to make such locations useful for sampling (e.g. in schools, where students do not touch the light switches and also wear masks so they have no opportunity to touch their face and then the object). We also documented links between the bacteria present in a sample and the SARS-CoV-2 virus, consistent with earlier studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor J Cantú
- These authors contributed equally
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Rodolfo A Salido
- These authors contributed equally
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Shi Huang
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Gibraan Rahman
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
- Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Rebecca Tsai
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Holly Valentine
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Diego, USA
- Sanford Consortium of Regenerative Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Celestine G Magallanes
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Diego, USA
- Sanford Consortium of Regenerative Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Stefan Aigner
- Sanford Consortium of Regenerative Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
- Dept of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Nathan A Baer
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Tom Barber
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Pedro Belda-Ferre
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Maryann Betty
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
- Rady Children's Hospital, San Diego, CA
| | - MacKenzie Bryant
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Martin Casas Maya
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Anelizze Castro-Martínez
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Marisol Chacón
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Willi Cheung
- Sanford Consortium of Regenerative Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
- San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
| | - Evelyn S Crescini
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Peter De Hoff
- Sanford Consortium of Regenerative Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Diego, USA
| | - Emily Eisner
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Sawyer Farmer
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Abbas Hakim
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Laura Kohn
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health, University of California, San Diego 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - Alma L Lastrella
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Elijah S Lawrence
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Sydney C Morgan
- Sanford Consortium of Regenerative Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Toan T Ngo
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Alhakam Nouri
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - R Tyler Ostrander
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Ashley Plascencia
- Sanford Consortium of Regenerative Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
- Dept of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Christopher A Ruiz
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Shashank Sathe
- Sanford Consortium of Regenerative Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
- Dept of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Phoebe Seaver
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Tara Shwartz
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Elizabeth W Smoot
- Expedited COVID Identification Environment (EXCITE) Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Thomas Valles
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Gene W Yeo
- Sanford Consortium of Regenerative Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
- Dept of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Louise C Laurent
- Sanford Consortium of Regenerative Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Diego, USA
| | - Rebecca Fielding-Miller
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health, University of California, San Diego 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093
| | - Rob Knight
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, Jacobs School of Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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