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Differences in environmental stability among SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern: Omicron has higher stability

View ORCID ProfileRyohei Hirose, Yoshito Itoh, Hiroshi Ikegaya, Hajime Miyazaki, Naoto Watanabe, Takuma Yoshida, Risa Bandou, Tomo Daidoji, Takaaki Nakaya
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.01.18.476607
Ryohei Hirose
1Department of Infectious Diseases, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 465 Kajii-cho, Kawaramachi-Hirokoji, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
2Department of Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 465 Kajii-cho, Kawaramachi-Hirokoji, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
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  • For correspondence: ryo-hiro@koto.kpu-m.ac.jp
Yoshito Itoh
2Department of Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 465 Kajii-cho, Kawaramachi-Hirokoji, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
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Hiroshi Ikegaya
3Department of Forensic Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 465 Kajii-cho, Kawaramachi-Hirokoji, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
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Hajime Miyazaki
1Department of Infectious Diseases, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 465 Kajii-cho, Kawaramachi-Hirokoji, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
2Department of Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 465 Kajii-cho, Kawaramachi-Hirokoji, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
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Naoto Watanabe
1Department of Infectious Diseases, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 465 Kajii-cho, Kawaramachi-Hirokoji, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
2Department of Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 465 Kajii-cho, Kawaramachi-Hirokoji, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
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Takuma Yoshida
1Department of Infectious Diseases, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 465 Kajii-cho, Kawaramachi-Hirokoji, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
2Department of Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 465 Kajii-cho, Kawaramachi-Hirokoji, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
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Risa Bandou
1Department of Infectious Diseases, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 465 Kajii-cho, Kawaramachi-Hirokoji, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
3Department of Forensic Medicine, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 465 Kajii-cho, Kawaramachi-Hirokoji, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
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Tomo Daidoji
1Department of Infectious Diseases, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 465 Kajii-cho, Kawaramachi-Hirokoji, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
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Takaaki Nakaya
1Department of Infectious Diseases, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 465 Kajii-cho, Kawaramachi-Hirokoji, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
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Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) could cause significant human and economic damage owing to increased infectivity and transmissibility, and understanding their characteristics is crucial for infection control. Here, we analyzed differences in viral stability and disinfection efficacy between the Wuhan strain and all VOCs. On plastic and skin surfaces, Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants exhibited more than two-fold longer survival than the Wuhan strain, and the Omicron variant had the longest survival time. Specifically, survival times of the Wuhan strain, Alpha variant, Beta variant, Gamma variant, Delta variant, and Omicron variant on skin surfaces were 8.6 h (95% CI, 6.5–10.9 h), 19.6 h (95% CI, 14.8–25.3 h), 19.1 h (95% CI, 13.9– 25.3 h), 11.0 h (95% CI, 8.1–14.7 h), 16.8 h (95% CI, 13.1–21.1 h), and 21.1 h (95% CI, 15.8– 27.6 h), respectively. In vitro, disinfectant effectiveness evaluations showed that Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron were slightly more resistant to ethanol than the Wuhan strain. However, ex vivo evaluation showed that on human skin, all viruses were completely inactivated by exposure to 35 w/w % ethanol for 15 s. The high environmental stability of these VOCs could increase transmission risk and contribute to spread. Additionally, the Omicron variant might have been replaced by the Delta variant due to its increased environmental stability and rapid spread. To prevent VOC spread, it is highly recommended that current infection control practices use disinfectants with appropriate ethanol concentrations.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Footnotes

  • Minor revision. The legend of Figure 1 and the Abstract have been revised. Additionally, we have changed some supplementary tables to the main tables.

Copyright 
The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission.
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Posted February 02, 2022.
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Differences in environmental stability among SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern: Omicron has higher stability
Ryohei Hirose, Yoshito Itoh, Hiroshi Ikegaya, Hajime Miyazaki, Naoto Watanabe, Takuma Yoshida, Risa Bandou, Tomo Daidoji, Takaaki Nakaya
bioRxiv 2022.01.18.476607; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.01.18.476607
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Differences in environmental stability among SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern: Omicron has higher stability
Ryohei Hirose, Yoshito Itoh, Hiroshi Ikegaya, Hajime Miyazaki, Naoto Watanabe, Takuma Yoshida, Risa Bandou, Tomo Daidoji, Takaaki Nakaya
bioRxiv 2022.01.18.476607; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.01.18.476607

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