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Persistence of SARS-CoV-2 virus and viral RNA on hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces and investigating contamination concentration

Susan Paton, Antony Spencer, Isobel Garratt, Katy-Anne Thompson, Ikshitaa Dinesh, Paz Aranega-Bou, David Stevenson, Simon Clark, Jake Dunning, Allan Bennett, Thomas Pottage
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.03.11.435056
Susan Paton
1Public Health England, National Infection Service, Porton Down, Wiltshire, UK
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Antony Spencer
1Public Health England, National Infection Service, Porton Down, Wiltshire, UK
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Isobel Garratt
1Public Health England, National Infection Service, Porton Down, Wiltshire, UK
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Katy-Anne Thompson
1Public Health England, National Infection Service, Porton Down, Wiltshire, UK
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Ikshitaa Dinesh
1Public Health England, National Infection Service, Porton Down, Wiltshire, UK
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Paz Aranega-Bou
1Public Health England, National Infection Service, Porton Down, Wiltshire, UK
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David Stevenson
1Public Health England, National Infection Service, Porton Down, Wiltshire, UK
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Simon Clark
1Public Health England, National Infection Service, Porton Down, Wiltshire, UK
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Jake Dunning
2Emerging Infections and Zoonoses, National Infection Service, Public Health England
3NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections
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Allan Bennett
1Public Health England, National Infection Service, Porton Down, Wiltshire, UK
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Thomas Pottage
1Public Health England, National Infection Service, Porton Down, Wiltshire, UK
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  • For correspondence: thomas.pottage@phe.gov.uk
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Abstract

The transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is likely to occur through a number of routes, including contact with contaminated surfaces. Many studies have used RT-PCR analysis to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA on surfaces but seldom has viable virus been detected. This paper investigates the viability over time of SARS-CoV-2 dried onto a range of materials and compares viability of the virus to RNA copies recovered, and whether virus viability is concentration dependant.

Viable virus persisted for the longest time on surgical mask material and stainless steel with a 99.9% reduction in viability by 124 and 113 hours respectively. Viability of SARS-CoV-2 reduced the fastest on a polyester shirt, with a 99.9% reduction within 2.5 hours. Viability on cotton was reduced second fastest, with 99.9% reduction in 72 hours. RNA on all the surfaces exhibited a one log reduction in genome copy recovery over 21 days.

The findings show that SARS-CoV-2 is most stable on non-porous hydrophobic surfaces. RNA is highly stable when dried on surfaces with only one log reduction in recovery over three weeks. In comparison, SARS-CoV-2 viability reduced more rapidly, but this loss in viability was found to be independent of starting concentration. Expected levels of SARS-CoV-2 viable environmental surface contamination would lead to undetectable levels within two days. Therefore, when RNA is detected on surfaces it does not directly indicate presence of viable virus even at high CT values.

Importance This study shows the impact of material type on the viability of SARS-CoV-2 on surfaces. It demonstrates that the decay rate of viable SARS-CoV-2 is independent of starting concentration. However, RNA shows high stability on surfaces over extended periods. This has implications for interpretation of surface sampling results using RT-PCR to determine the possibility of viable virus from a surface. Unless sampled immediately after contamination it is difficult to align RNA copy numbers to quantity of viable virus on a surface.

Footnotes

  • ↵# Author no longer work for PHE

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.
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Posted March 13, 2021.
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Persistence of SARS-CoV-2 virus and viral RNA on hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces and investigating contamination concentration
Susan Paton, Antony Spencer, Isobel Garratt, Katy-Anne Thompson, Ikshitaa Dinesh, Paz Aranega-Bou, David Stevenson, Simon Clark, Jake Dunning, Allan Bennett, Thomas Pottage
bioRxiv 2021.03.11.435056; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.03.11.435056
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Persistence of SARS-CoV-2 virus and viral RNA on hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces and investigating contamination concentration
Susan Paton, Antony Spencer, Isobel Garratt, Katy-Anne Thompson, Ikshitaa Dinesh, Paz Aranega-Bou, David Stevenson, Simon Clark, Jake Dunning, Allan Bennett, Thomas Pottage
bioRxiv 2021.03.11.435056; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.03.11.435056

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