Asymptomatic COVID-19 Patients also Contaminate the Environment, Says Study

New study has revealed the importance of environmental cleaning in areas occupied by patients with COVID-19.

New study published in mSphere has stated that both symptomatic and asymptomatic COVID-19 patients have the capability of contaminating their surroundings.

The data, which comes from a patient study conducted in China, demonstrates the importance of environmental cleaning in areas occupied by patients with COVID-19.

Coronavirus
Coronaviruses infect animals, humans, and birds. Human coronaviruses, such as SARS, MERS, and 2019-nCoV cause respiratory distress and even death. The S protein is the infectious agent of the virus.

‘Isolation of asymptomatic COVID-19 patients at home impose risks to their family members and that shelter hospitals may be a better option.’

"Placement of COVID-19 patients in rooms with negative pressure may bring a false feeling of safety and rigorous environment cleaning should be emphasized," write lead study author Zhiyong Zong, MBBS, PhD, from the Department of Infection Control, West China Hospital. Sichuan University, Chengdu, China, and colleagues.

While it has been well recognized that the virus SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, can be acquired by objects or materials which are likely to carry infection, such as clothes and furniture, the contamination of patients' surroundings by SARS-CoV-2 is largely unknown and understudied.

In the new study, researchers sampled the surroundings and the air of 6 negative pressure non-intensive care unit (ICU) rooms with 13 laboratory confirmed COVID-19 patients who had returned from overseas in a designated isolation ward in Chengdu, China.

Indian Namaste the Preferred Greeting over Conventional Handshake
COVID-19 pandemic is causing changes in how we greet each other. The traditional Indian way of greeting with folded hands (Namaste) is now being preferred over handshake. Namaste has more to it than just being a greetings, read to find out

The study cohort included 2 asymptomatic patients. Sampled sites included bedrails, room and toilet door handles, light switches, foot flush buttons, sink rims, sink and toilet bowls and drains, bedside tables, bedsheets, pillows, equipment belts on wall, floor, air exhaust outlets and air.

The researchers found that 44 of 112 surface samples (39.3%) were positive for SARS-Cov-2, detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). All of the air samples were negative. "The findings suggest that patient surroundings in this non-ICU negative pressure isolation ward for COVID-19 patients with mild disease or no symptoms were extensively contaminated by SARS-CoV-2," write Dr. Zong and colleagues.

Arthritis Drug's Effect on Covid-19 Studied
Effectiveness of an arthritis drug in treating a type of severe immune overreaction in patients with COVID-19 induced pneumonia studied.

"In particular, in a single room with an asymptomatic patient, 4 sites including bedrail, pillow, bedsheet and the air exhaust outlet were SARS-CoV-2 positive. This highlights that asymptomatic COVID-19 patients can contaminate their surroundings and therefore make persons who have direct contact with them such as their family members and healthcare workers be exposed to SARS-CoV-2".

"The findings also highlight that environmental cleaning should be emphasized," the researchers write.

1 in 3 COVID-19 Survivors Suffer long-term Lung Damage
If you are a corona survivor, read this carefully. A leaked guidance from the UK National Health Service (NHS) has warned that up to 30 per cent of COVID-19 survivors may suffer long-term lung damage.

Source-Eurekalert