Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA.
Biology and the Built Environment Center, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA.
Sci Rep. 2022 May 5;12(1):7395. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-11303-8.
The indoor environment is the primary location for the transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), largely driven by respiratory particle accumulation in the air and increased connectivity between the individuals occupying indoor spaces. In this study, we aimed to track a cohort of subjects as they occupied a COVID-19 isolation dormitory to better understand the impact of subject and environmental viral load over time, symptoms, and room ventilation on the detectable viral load within a single room. We find that subject samples demonstrate a decrease in overall viral load over time, symptoms significantly impact environmental viral load, and we provide the first real-world evidence for decreased aerosol SARS-CoV-2 load with increasing ventilation, both from mechanical and window sources. These results may guide environmental viral surveillance strategies and be used to better control the spread of SARS-CoV-2 within built environments and better protect those caring for individuals with COVID-19.
室内环境是严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒 2（SARS-CoV-2）传播的主要场所，SARS-CoV-2 是导致 2019 年冠状病毒病（COVID-19）的病原体，主要是由于空气中呼吸颗粒的积聚和居住在室内空间的个体之间的连接增加所致。在这项研究中，我们旨在跟踪一组受试者入住 COVID-19 隔离宿舍，以更好地了解随着时间的推移、症状以及房间通风对单个房间内可检测病毒载量的影响。我们发现，随着时间的推移，受试者样本的总体病毒载量呈下降趋势，症状会显著影响环境中的病毒载量，并且我们首次提供了实际证据，表明随着通风的增加，气溶胶 SARS-CoV-2 载量会减少，机械通风和窗户通风均是如此。这些结果可能为环境病毒监测策略提供指导，并有助于更好地控制 SARS-CoV-2 在建筑环境中的传播，更好地保护那些照顾 COVID-19 患者的人。
