Environmental surface surveillance during a COVID-19 outbreak in a school community: implications for controlling indirect transmission

Environmental surface surveillance during a COVID-19 outbreak in a school community: implications for controlling indirect transmission

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 environmenta...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Brazilian journal of microbiology Vol. 55; no. 1; pp. 441 - 445
Main Authors: Cherem, José, Alvarenga, Ingrid Marciano, Coelho, Ana Laura Ramos Mendes, Souza, Karla Silva Teixeira, Rocha, Denise Alvarenga, de Castro, Pedro Henryque, Pylro, Victor Satler, Barçante, Joziana Muniz de Paiva
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01-03-2024
Springer Nature B.V
Subjects:
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Clinical Microbiology - Short Communication
Contamination
COVID-19
Disease control
Environmental monitoring
Food Microbiology
Infectious diseases
Life Sciences
Medical Microbiology
Microbial Ecology
Microbial Genetics and Genomics
Microbiology
Mycology
Outbreaks
Pandemics
Public health
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
Viral diseases
COVID-19
SARS-CoV-2
Surface contamination
Surveillance
RT-qPCR
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Summary: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.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
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Responsible Editor: Flavio Guimaraes Fonseca
ISSN:1517-8382
1678-4405
1678-4405
DOI:10.1007/s42770-023-01185-x