Source avec lien : American Journal of Infection Control, (Prépublication). 10.1016/j.ajic.2021.10.009
La pandémie de COVID-19 a touché les universités et les institutions et a provoqué la fermeture des campus avec une transition vers des modèles d’enseignement en ligne. Afin de détecter les infections qui pourraient se propager sur le campus, nous avons poursuivi des recherches visant à détecter le SRAS-CoV-2 dans des échantillons d’air à l’intérieur des dortoirs des étudiants.
Background The COVID-19 pandemic affected universities and institutions and caused campus shutdowns with a transition to online teaching models. To detect infections that might spread on campus, we pursued research towards detecting SARS-CoV-2 in air samples inside student dorms. Methods We sampled air in two large dormitories for 3.5 months and a separate isolation suite containing a student who had tested positive for COVID-19. We developed novel techniques employing four methods to collect air samples: Filter Cassettes, Button Sampler, BioSampler, and AerosolSense sampler combined with direct qRT-PCR SARS-CoV-2 analysis. Results For the two large dorms with the normal student population, we detected SARS-CoV-2 in 11 samples. When compared with student nasal swab qRT-PCR testing, we detected SARS-CoV-2 in air samples when a PCR positive COVID-19 student was living on the same floor of the sampling location with a detection rate of 75%. For the isolation dorm, we had a 100% SARS-CoV-2 detection rate with Aerosol Sense sampler. Conclusion Our data suggest air sampling may be an important SARS-CoV-2 surveillance technique, especially for buildings with congregant living settings (dorms, correctional facilities, barracks). Future building designs and public health policies should consider implementation of HVAC surveillance.