Restrooms Found Positive For SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus

A new study reports there was extensive environmental contamination by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus found in a patient with mild upper respiratory tract involvement. 

Moreover, this study published in JAMA on March 4, 2020, found ‘toilet bowl and sink samples were positive for this coronavirus.’

This is important news since the SARS-CoV-2 virus is the cause of the fatal Coronavirus-Disease-2019, known as COVID-19.

This finding suggests that viral shedding in the stool could be a potential route of virus transmission. 

The good news is these researchers reported ‘Post-cleaning samples were found to be negative, suggesting that current coronavirus decontamination measures are sufficient.’

Furthermore, this study found air samples were negative despite the extent of environmental contamination. 

But, swabs taken from the air exhaust outlets tested positive, suggesting that small virus-laden droplets may be displaced by airflows and deposited on equipment such as vents. 

Only 1 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) swab, from the surface of a shoe front, was positive. All other PPE swabs were negative.

The positive PPE sample was unsurprising because shoe covers are not part of PPE recommendations. 

However, these researchers said ‘the risk of transmission from contaminated footwear is likely low, as evidenced by negative results in the anteroom and clean corridor.’

This new study was conducted from January 24 to February 4, 2020, with 3 patients at the dedicated SARS-CoV-2 outbreak center in Singapore, housed in airborne infection isolation rooms (12 air exchanges per hour) with anterooms and bathrooms, and had surface environmental samples taken at 26 sites.

This study reported several limitations. 

• First, viral culture was not done to demonstrate viability.
• Second, due to operational limitations during an outbreak, the methodology was inconsistent and the sample size was small.
• Third, the volume of air sampled represents only a small fraction of total volume, and air exchanges in the room would have diluted the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the air.

This study concludes saying ‘Significant environmental contamination by patients with SARS-CoV-2 through respiratory droplets and fecal shedding suggests the environment as a potential medium of transmission and supports the need for strict adherence to environmental and hand hygiene.’

Further studies are required to confirm these preliminary results.

SARS-CoV-2 outbreak news published by Coronavirus Today.