Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Nor, Norefrina Shafinaz Md
• Yip, Chee Wai
• Ibrahim, Nazlina
• Jaafar, Mohd Hasni
• Rashid, Zetti Zainol
• Mustafa, Norlaila
• Hamid, Haris Hafizal Abd
• Chandru, Kuhan
• Latif, Mohd Talib
• Saw, Phei Er
• Lin, Chin Yik
• Alhasa, Kemal Maulana
• Hashim, Jamal Hisham
• Nadzir, Mohd Shahrul Mohd

Titel

Particulate matter (PM2.5) as a potential SARS-CoV-2 carrier

Ist Teil von

• Scientific reports, 2021-01, Vol.11 (1), p.2508-6, Article 2508

Ort / Verlag

London: Nature Publishing Group UK

Erscheinungsjahr

2021

Quelle

MEDLINE

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• The rapid spread of the SARS-CoV-2 in the COVID-19 pandemic had raised questions on the route of transmission of this disease. Initial understanding was that transmission originated from respiratory droplets from an infected host to a susceptible host. However, indirect contact transmission of viable virus by fomites and through aerosols has also been suggested. Herein, we report the involvement of fine indoor air particulates with a diameter of ≤ 2.5 µm (PM 2.5 ) as the virus’s transport agent. PM 2.5 was collected over four weeks during 48-h measurement intervals in four separate hospital wards containing different infected clusters in a teaching hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Our results indicated the highest SARS-CoV-2 RNA on PM 2.5 in the ward with number of occupants. We suggest a link between the virus-laden PM 2.5 and the ward’s design. Patients’ symptoms and numbers influence the number of airborne SARS-CoV-2 RNA with PM 2.5 in an enclosed environment.