{"id":829,"date":"2020-06-09T10:27:09","date_gmt":"2020-06-09T04:57:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.potentialloops.org\/?p=829"},"modified":"2020-06-09T10:46:13","modified_gmt":"2020-06-09T05:16:13","slug":"virus-dna-spread-across-surfaces-in-hospital-ward-over-10-hours","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.potentialloops.org\/?p=829","title":{"rendered":"Virus DNA spread across surfaces in hospital ward over 10 hours"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Date: June 8, 2020 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Source 1: University College London <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Source 2: www.sciencedaily.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Summary: Virus DNA left on a hospital bed rail was found in nearly half of all sites sampled across a ward within 10 hours and persisted for at least five days, according to a new study in the United Kingdom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Virus DNA left on a hospital bed rail was \nfound in nearly half of all sites sampled across a ward within 10 hours \nand persisted for at least five days, according to a new study by UCL \nand Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The study, published as a letter in the Journal of Hospital Infection<\/em>, aimed to safely simulate how SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, may spread across surfaces in a hospital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead of using the SARS-CoV-2 virus, researchers artificially \nreplicated a section of DNA from a plant-infecting virus, which cannot \ninfect humans, and added it to a millilitre of water at a similar \nconcentration to SARS-CoV-2 copies found in infected patients’ \nrespiratory samples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Researchers placed the water containing this DNA on the hand rail of a\n hospital bed in an isolation room — that is, a room for higher-risk or\n infected patients — and then sampled 44 sites across a hospital ward \nover the following five days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They found that after 10 hours, the surrogate genetic material had \nspread to 41% of sites sampled across the hospital ward, from bed rails \nto door handles to arm rests in a waiting room to children’s toys and \nbooks in a play area. This increased to 59% of sites after three days, \nfalling to 41% on the fifth day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr Lena Ciric (UCL Civil, Environmental & Geomatic Engineering), a\n senior author of the study, said: “Our study shows the important role \nthat surfaces play in the transmission of a virus and how critical it is\n to adhere to good hand hygiene and cleaning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Our surrogate was inoculated once to a single site, and was spread \nthrough the touching of surfaces by staff, patients and visitors. A \nperson with SARS-CoV-2, though, will shed the virus on more than one \nsite, through coughing, sneezing and touching surfaces.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The highest proportion of sites that tested positive for the \nsurrogate came from the immediate bedspace area — including a nearby \nroom with several other beds — and clinical areas such as treatment \nrooms. On day three, 86% of sampled sites in clinical areas tested \npositive, while on day four, 60% of sampled sites in the immediate \nbedspace area tested positive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Co-author Dr Elaine Cloutman-Green (UCL Civil, Environmental & \nGeomatic Engineering), Lead Healthcare Scientist at GOSH, said: “People \ncan become infected with Covid-19 through respiratory droplets produced \nduring coughing or sneezing. Equally, if these droplets land on a \nsurface, a person may become infected after coming into contact with the\n surface and then touching their eyes, nose or mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Like SARS-CoV-2, the surrogate we used for the study could be \nremoved with a disinfectant wipe or by washing hands with soap and \nwater. Cleaning and handwashing represent our first line of defence \nagainst the virus and this study is a significant reminder that \nhealthcare workers and all visitors to a clinical setting can help stop \nits spread through strict hand hygiene, cleaning of surfaces, and proper\n use of personal protective equipment (PPE).”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SARS-CoV-2 will likely be spread within bodily fluid such as cough \ndroplets, whereas the study used virus DNA in water. More sticky fluid \nsuch as mucus would likely spread more easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One caveat to the study is that, while it shows how quickly a virus \ncan spread if left on a surface, it cannot determine how likely it is \nthat a person would be infected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The study was supported by a funded UCL studentship in partnership \nwith GAMA Healthcare and funding from the National Institute for Health \nResearch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Story Source:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Materials<\/a> provided by University College London<\/strong><\/a>. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

www.sciencedaily.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Journal Reference<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. S. Rawlinson, L. Ciric, E. Cloutman-Green. COVID-19 pandemic \u2013 let’s not forget surfaces<\/strong>. Journal of Hospital Infection<\/em>, 2020; DOI: 10.1016\/j.jhin.2020.05.022<\/a>\n<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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