J Hosp Infect: Shocked! Viral DNA spreads rapidly on the surface of the hospital ward, remaining for more than 5 days!

JUNE 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A new study by University College London (UCL) and Great Ormond Street Hospital and GOSH shows that viral DNA left on bed railings on a hospital bed railing was found at nearly half of the sampling sites in a ward within 10 hours and lasted at least five daysThe study, published today in the Journal of Hospital Infections, aims to safely simulate how the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes Covid-19 spreads on the hospital's surfaceInstead of using the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the researchers artificially copied a fragment of DNA that could not infect human plants and added it to a milliliter of water at a concentration similar to the SARS-CoV-2 gene found in respiratory samples from infected patientsPhoto Source: The researchers placed the water containing the DNA on the armrests of the beds in the isolation wards, the wards of high-risk or infected patients, and then took samples from 44 locations in the hospital wards over the next five daysThey found that after 10 hours, alternative genetic material had spread to 41 percent of the sampling points in hospital wards, from bed railings to door handles to handrails in waiting rooms to books in children's toys and play areasThree days later, the proportion rose to 59 per cent and fell to 41 per cent on the fifth dayDr Lena Ciric, senior author of the study, said: "Our study shows how important surfaces play in the spread of the virus and how important it is to keep hands clean and cleanOur substitutes are inoculated once in one place and then transmitted through the surface of staff, patients and visitorsHowever, a person carrying SARS-CoV-2 can spread the virus in multiple places by coughing, sneezing and touching the surface"The highest proportion of sites that test positive for substitutes come from adjacent bed areas -- including rooms with several beds nearby -- as well as clinical areas, such as treatment roomsOn the third day, 86% of the sampling points in the clinical area tested positive, while on day 4, 60% of the sampling points in the adjacent bed area tested positiveCo-author Dr Elaine Cloutman-Green, chief health care scientist at the National Geographic Institute in the UK, said: "People can infect Covid-19 with droplets from coughing or sneezingSimilarly, if these droplets fall on a surface, a person who touches the surface and then touches his eyes, nose, or mouth may also be infectedLike SARS-CoV-2, the substitutes we used in our research could be erased with disinfectants or washed with soap and waterCleaning and hand washing is our first line of defense against the virus, and this study reminds health care workers and all visitors to the clinic that strict hand hygiene, clean surfaces and proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE) can help stop the spread of the virus"SARS-CoV-2 may spread in body fluids, such as cough droplets, and the study used viral DNA in waterMore viscous liquids, such as mucus, may spread more easily One caveat to the study is that, although it shows how fast the virus is spreading on the surface, it is not sure how likely a person is to be infected (BioValleyBioon.com) References: S Rawlinson et al, COVID-19 pandemic - let's not don't forgets, Journal of Hospital Infection (2020) DOI: 10.1016/j.jhin.2020.05.022