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

• 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
• ISSN: 1517-8382; 1678-4405; 1678-4405
• DOI: 10.1007/s42770-023-01185-x

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.