Aerosol and Surface Stability of SARS-CoV-2 as Compared with SARS-CoV-1

Corresponding author: Vincent J. Munster

Affiliation: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Hamilton, MT; Princeton University, Princeton, NJ; National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Hamilton, MT; University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA; National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Hamilton, MT; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA; University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, Bethesda, MD; National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Hamilton, MT.  

Publication date: this article was published on March 17, 2020

DOI: 10.1056/NEJMc2004973

Highlights

In this article, the researchers evaluated the stability of SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV-1 in aerosols and on various surfaces and estimated their decay rates using a Bayesian regression model. They found that the stability of SARS-CoV-2 was similar to that of SARS-CoV-1 under the experimental circumstances tested. Their results indicate that aerosol and fomite transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is plausible, since the virus can remain viable and infectious in aerosols for hours and on surfaces up to days (depending on the inoculum shed). These forms of transmission were associated with nosocomial spread and super-spreading events and they provide information for pandemic mitigation efforts.

Nomination Reasons

This study provides detailed understanding of the stability, aerosol and fomite transmission of SARS-CoV-2, which is of great importance for containing the pandemic.

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