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Surface Distribution of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 in a Negative Pressure Ward at an Urgently Field Hospital

21 Pages Posted: 22 Jun 2020

See all articles by Ying Wang

Ying Wang

Wuhan University - Department of Nosocomial Infection

Fu Qiao

Sichuan University - Infection Prevention and Control Department

Fuling Zhou

Wuhan University - Department of Hematology

Yang Li

Hubei Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention - Institute of Health Inspection and Testing

Xiaoping Zhu

Wuhan University - Department of Quality and Safety Management

Linlin Liu

Hubei Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention - Institute of Health Inspection and Testing

Wen Xie

Wuhan University - Department of Clinical Laboratory

Qili Zeng

Hubei Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Xiaohuan Cheng

Wuhan University - Department of Laboratory Medicine

Wenwen Wu

Hubei University of Medicine - School of Public Health and Management

Jinru Yang

Wuhan University of Science and Technology - School of Medicine

Yufeng Yuan

Wuhan University - Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery

More...

Abstract

Background: Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has now become a global pandemic. This necessitated the rapid construction of field hospitals and negative pressure isolation wards as the main strategies to control the detrimental effects of the outbreak. Currently, little is known about the extent of environmental contamination of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in a negative pressure ward at an urgently field hospital.

Methods: A total of 66 surface samples were randomly collected from a general isolation ward and an ICU at a rapidly built field hospital (Wuhan Leishenshan Hospital) in Wuhan, China, from March 12th to March 17th, 2020. The samples were used for SARS-CoV-2 detection and ATP (adenosine triphosphate) monitoring.

Findings: Among the samples, 3.03% tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. The nurse’s hand and nurse station in the ICU were weakly positive (CT value=38.79; CT value=37.56) and the ATP value of these two sites was higher than the mean value of all samples (ATP=817; ATP=577). Of note, 34 samples from the general ward tested negative. The mean ATP value for samples from ICU exceeded that for samples from the general ward (ATP value for ICU samples =459.25±415.65; ATP value for general ward samples= 191±342.3).

Interpretation: These findings suggest that the SARS-CoV-2 cannot survive in negative pressure wards even in rapidly built field hospitals. Thus, rapidly built field hospitals with negative pressure wards are essential components in the fight against the ongoing pandemic of COVID-19.

Funding Statement: Emergency Science and Technology Project (2020FCA013)

Declaration of Interests: The authors have declared no competing interest.

Ethics Approval Statement: The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University (2020064).

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; Surface contamination; Urgently built field hospital; Negative pressure ward

Suggested Citation

Wang, Ying and Qiao, Fu and Zhou, Fuling and Li, Yang and Zhu, Xiaoping and Liu, Linlin and Xie, Wen and Zeng, Qili and Cheng, Xiaohuan and Wu, Wenwen and Yang, Jinru and Yuan, Yufeng, Surface Distribution of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 in a Negative Pressure Ward at an Urgently Field Hospital (5/6/2020). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3605245 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3605245

Ying Wang

Wuhan University - Department of Nosocomial Infection

Wuhan
China

Fu Qiao

Sichuan University - Infection Prevention and Control Department

Sichuan
China

Fuling Zhou

Wuhan University - Department of Hematology ( email )

China

Yang Li

Hubei Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention - Institute of Health Inspection and Testing

Wuhan, Hubei
China

Xiaoping Zhu

Wuhan University - Department of Quality and Safety Management

Wuhan
China

Linlin Liu

Hubei Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention - Institute of Health Inspection and Testing

Wuhan, Hubei
China

Wen Xie

Wuhan University - Department of Clinical Laboratory ( email )

Wuhan, 430072
China

Qili Zeng

Hubei Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Wuhan, Hubei 430079
China

Xiaohuan Cheng

Wuhan University - Department of Laboratory Medicine

Wuhan, 430071
China

Wenwen Wu

Hubei University of Medicine - School of Public Health and Management

Shiyan
China

Jinru Yang

Wuhan University of Science and Technology - School of Medicine

Wuhan
China

Yufeng Yuan (Contact Author)

Wuhan University - Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery ( email )

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