Surfaces source of Covid transmission

Naina Mishra

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Chandigarh, August 26

Environmental surfaces are potential source of Covid-19 transmission, finds a PGI study.

The study was aimed at detecting the Covid-19 virus in high to low-risk area surfaces surrounding infected patients. It was carried out at a time when the bed occupancy at the Covid-dedicated hospital was high.

Surfaces from both patient areas (70) and non-patient areas (39) were sampled through the RT-PCR test. Among a total of eight environmental surface samples found positive for Covid-19, a maximum positivity rate of 31.8% was among those collected around the patients with more than 20 Ct (cycle threshold, a value that emerges during the RT-PCR test), followed by 3.3% positivity rate among samples taken from areas around patients with Ct value ranging from 20 to 25. No virus was detected around patients with less than 25 Ct value.

The study says although the risk surface contamination with Covid-19 is low, it is there during the first 72 hours of a person with suspected or confirmed infection being taken to an indoor space.

The study explored the contaminated surfaces which will be the key focus area for disinfection on priority.