Study supports use of airborne isolation precautions for COVID-19 patients

A study which has been published in the journal Nature gives further evidence that the virus that causes covid-19, SARS-CoV2, is transmitted by air or through surfaces. University of Nebraska Medical Center conducted the study along with National Strategic Research Institute USA. The study suggests that there is environmental contamination of surface and air samples with the virus in places where covid-19 positive patients were isolated.

New revelation 

According to the study, the researchers collected air and surface samples during the isolation of 13 individuals which were infected with Covid-19 in the University of Nebraska Medical Center. This was done to examine the viral shedding from the isolated individuals. As the cases increased in various parts of the world, a continued shortage of evidence on routes of SARS-CoV-2 transmission resulted in shifting infection prevention and control guidelines between the classically defined airborne and droplet precautions. According to the study, researchers suggest that viral contamination was detected in all the samples. This supported the use of airborne isolation precautions when caring for covid-19 patients.

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Patients who required hospital care were taken by the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit. However, the mildly ill individuals were isolated in the National Quarantine Unit. Both these units are situated in the medical center campus.

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According to the study, 77.8% of samples of cell phones were found positive for SARS-CoV-2 and 55.6% of remote controls were positive. Samples collected from washrooms were 81% positive. 70.8% of the bedside tables and bed rails indicated the presence of viral RNA. The study said that out of all the rooms that were tested, 75% were positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. The study said that the implementation of a standard suite of infection prevention and control procedures prevented all sorts of cases of covid-19 in healthcare workers. The health workers self monitored for 14 days after last contact with either ward. They also went through two nasal swab PCR assays after a gap of 24 hours in case they reported fever or any respiratory infection symptoms.

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