Skip to main content
bioRxiv
  • Home
  • About
  • Submit
  • ALERTS / RSS
Advanced Search
New Results

Aerodynamic Characteristics and RNA Concentration of SARS-CoV-2 Aerosol in Wuhan Hospitals during COVID-19 Outbreak

Yuan Liu, Zhi Ning, Yu Chen, Ming Guo, Yingle Liu, Nirmal Kumar Gali, Li Sun, Yusen Duan, Jing Cai, Dane Westerdahl, Xinjin Liu, Kin-fai Ho, Haidong Kan, Qingyan Fu, Ke Lan
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.03.08.982637
Yuan Liu
1State Key Laboratory of Virology, Modern Virology Research Center, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, P. R. China
Ph.D.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Zhi Ning
2Division of Environment and Sustainability, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR, P. R. China
Ph.D.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • For correspondence: klan@whu.edu.cn zhining@ust.hk chenyu@whu.edu.cn qingyanf@sheemc.cn kanh@fudan.edu.cn kfho@cuhk.edu.hk
Yu Chen
1State Key Laboratory of Virology, Modern Virology Research Center, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, P. R. China
Ph.D.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • For correspondence: klan@whu.edu.cn zhining@ust.hk chenyu@whu.edu.cn qingyanf@sheemc.cn kanh@fudan.edu.cn kfho@cuhk.edu.hk
Ming Guo
1State Key Laboratory of Virology, Modern Virology Research Center, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, P. R. China
Ph.D.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Yingle Liu
1State Key Laboratory of Virology, Modern Virology Research Center, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, P. R. China
Ph.D.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Nirmal Kumar Gali
2Division of Environment and Sustainability, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR, P. R. China
Ph.D.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Li Sun
2Division of Environment and Sustainability, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR, P. R. China
M.Sc.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Yusen Duan
3Shanghai Environmental Monitoring Center, Shanghai 200235, P. R. China
M.Sc.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Jing Cai
4School of Public Health, Key Lab of Public Health Safety of the Ministry of Education and Key Lab of Health Technology Assessment of the Ministry of Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
Ph.D.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Dane Westerdahl
2Division of Environment and Sustainability, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong SAR, P. R. China
D.Env.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Xinjin Liu
1State Key Laboratory of Virology, Modern Virology Research Center, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, P. R. China
M.Sc.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Kin-fai Ho
5JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, P. R. China
Ph.D.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • For correspondence: klan@whu.edu.cn zhining@ust.hk chenyu@whu.edu.cn qingyanf@sheemc.cn kanh@fudan.edu.cn kfho@cuhk.edu.hk
Haidong Kan
4School of Public Health, Key Lab of Public Health Safety of the Ministry of Education and Key Lab of Health Technology Assessment of the Ministry of Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P. R. China
Ph.D.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • For correspondence: klan@whu.edu.cn zhining@ust.hk chenyu@whu.edu.cn qingyanf@sheemc.cn kanh@fudan.edu.cn kfho@cuhk.edu.hk
Qingyan Fu
3Shanghai Environmental Monitoring Center, Shanghai 200235, P. R. China
Ph.D.
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • For correspondence: klan@whu.edu.cn zhining@ust.hk chenyu@whu.edu.cn qingyanf@sheemc.cn kanh@fudan.edu.cn kfho@cuhk.edu.hk
Ke Lan
1State Key Laboratory of Virology, Modern Virology Research Center, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, P. R. China
MD, PhD
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • For correspondence: klan@whu.edu.cn zhining@ust.hk chenyu@whu.edu.cn qingyanf@sheemc.cn kanh@fudan.edu.cn kfho@cuhk.edu.hk
  • Abstract
  • Full Text
  • Info/History
  • Metrics
  • Supplementary material
  • Preview PDF
Loading

Abstract

Background The ongoing outbreak of COVID-19 has spread rapidly and sparked global concern. While the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 through human respiratory droplets and contact with infected persons is clear, the aerosol transmission of SARS-CoV-2 has been little studied.

Methods Thirty-five aerosol samples of three different types (total suspended particle, size segregated and deposition aerosol) were collected in Patient Areas (PAA) and Medical Staff Areas (MSA) of Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University (Renmin) and Wuchang Fangcang Field Hospital (Fangcang), and Public Areas (PUA) in Wuhan, China during COVID-19 outbreak. A robust droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) method was employed to quantitate the viral SARS-CoV-2 RNA genome and determine aerosol RNA concentration.

Results The ICU, CCU and general patient rooms inside Renmin, patient hall inside Fangcang had undetectable or low airborne SARS-CoV-2 concentration but deposition samples inside ICU and air sample in Fangcang patient toilet tested positive. The airborne SARS-CoV-2 in Fangcang MSA had bimodal distribution with higher concentration than those in Renmin during the outbreak but turned negative after patients number reduced and rigorous sanitization implemented. PUA had undetectable airborne SARS-CoV-2 concentration but obviously increased with accumulating crowd flow.

Conclusions Room ventilation, open space, proper use and disinfection of toilet can effectively limit aerosol transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Gathering of crowds with asymptomatic carriers is a potential source of airborne SARS-CoV-2. The virus aerosol deposition on protective apparel or floor surface and their subsequent resuspension is a potential transmission pathway and effective sanitization is critical in minimizing aerosol transmission of SARS-CoV-2.

Copyright 
The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.
Back to top
PreviousNext
Posted March 10, 2020.
Download PDF

Supplementary Material

Email

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word about bioRxiv.

NOTE: Your email address is requested solely to identify you as the sender of this article.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Aerodynamic Characteristics and RNA Concentration of SARS-CoV-2 Aerosol in Wuhan Hospitals during COVID-19 Outbreak
(Your Name) has forwarded a page to you from bioRxiv
(Your Name) thought you would like to see this page from the bioRxiv website.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Share
Aerodynamic Characteristics and RNA Concentration of SARS-CoV-2 Aerosol in Wuhan Hospitals during COVID-19 Outbreak
Yuan Liu, Zhi Ning, Yu Chen, Ming Guo, Yingle Liu, Nirmal Kumar Gali, Li Sun, Yusen Duan, Jing Cai, Dane Westerdahl, Xinjin Liu, Kin-fai Ho, Haidong Kan, Qingyan Fu, Ke Lan
bioRxiv 2020.03.08.982637; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.03.08.982637
Reddit logo Twitter logo Facebook logo LinkedIn logo Mendeley logo
Citation Tools
Aerodynamic Characteristics and RNA Concentration of SARS-CoV-2 Aerosol in Wuhan Hospitals during COVID-19 Outbreak
Yuan Liu, Zhi Ning, Yu Chen, Ming Guo, Yingle Liu, Nirmal Kumar Gali, Li Sun, Yusen Duan, Jing Cai, Dane Westerdahl, Xinjin Liu, Kin-fai Ho, Haidong Kan, Qingyan Fu, Ke Lan
bioRxiv 2020.03.08.982637; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.03.08.982637

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One

Subject Area

  • Microbiology
Subject Areas
All Articles
  • Animal Behavior and Cognition (4662)
  • Biochemistry (10316)
  • Bioengineering (7645)
  • Bioinformatics (26251)
  • Biophysics (13484)
  • Cancer Biology (10652)
  • Cell Biology (15366)
  • Clinical Trials (138)
  • Developmental Biology (8470)
  • Ecology (12779)
  • Epidemiology (2067)
  • Evolutionary Biology (16800)
  • Genetics (11373)
  • Genomics (15435)
  • Immunology (10584)
  • Microbiology (25089)
  • Molecular Biology (10175)
  • Neuroscience (54253)
  • Paleontology (398)
  • Pathology (1662)
  • Pharmacology and Toxicology (2884)
  • Physiology (4329)
  • Plant Biology (9216)
  • Scientific Communication and Education (1583)
  • Synthetic Biology (2545)
  • Systems Biology (6763)
  • Zoology (1459)