Bioaerosol sampling of a ventilated patient with COVID-19

Abstract

Highlights Recent research has found SARS-CoV-2 in the air of hospital patient rooms and common areas; however, there has not been research in the rooms of patients on ventilators. Our study sought to determine whether SARS-CoV-2 was present in the patient room of a COVID-19 positive patient on a ventilator. This study found that the level of SARS-CoV-2 in the air of the patient room was lower than a detectable level. This research contributes to our understanding of the spread of COVID-19 in hospital settings and has implications for recommendations for PPE use in patient rooms of individuals on ventilators.

Bioaerosol Sampling for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in a Referral Center with Critically Ill Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Patients March–May 2020

“…Some of the sampling was conducted in ICUs, in which a large number of patients were mechanically ventilated. Given the results of our previous study, in which aerosols were not detected in an airborne infection isolation room of a ventilated patient, viral aerosols may not have even been present in the rooms of patients on mechanical ventilation and therefore were not detected outside of the room [ 22 ]. However, recent studies in the rooms of nonventilated patients have detected SARS-CoV-2 aerosols, so it is likely that they were present in the rooms of nonventilated patients [ 8 , 11 , 15 ].…”

SARS-CoV-2: a systematic review of indoor air sampling for virus detection

“…Some studies conducted in health institutions on symptomatic patients contaminated by COVID-19 have reported the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 RNA in air samples (Chia et al 2020 ; Guo et al 2020 ; Santarpia et al 2020 ; Zhou et al 2020 ; Liu et al 2020 ; Ma et al 2020 ; Lednicky et al 2020a ; Kenarkoohi et al 2020 ). Other similar investigations did not find viable SARS-CoV-2 virus in air samples (Faridi et al 2020 ; Cheng et al 2020a , b ; Ong et al 2020 ; Yamagishi 2020 ; Döhla et al 2020 ; Wu et al 2020 ; Ding et al 2020 ; Lei et al 2020 ; Li et al 2020 ; Ahn et al 2020 ; Lane et al 2020 ; Cai et al 2020 ).…”

“…Lane et al ( 2020 ) utilized 2-stage cyclone samplers (NIOSH BC 251) and a cassette filter containing a Teflon® filter measuring 37 mm in diameter and having 2 μm in porosity. The sampling took place in an isolated room of the ICU in the Serious Communicable Disease Unit at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta (20 air exchanges/h with HEPA filters).…”

“…Rooms with viral particles in the air also presented surface contamination Chia et al ( 2020 ) 33 air samples were collected for 30 min using the NIOSH BC 251 bioaerosol sampler (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) with air pumps (XR5000, SKC) at 3.5 L/min. The NIOSH sampler segregates air sample into large (≥ 4 μm), medium (1–4 μm), and small (< 1 μm) particles 7.7% and 82.6% of samples were positive for SARS-CoV-2 in COVID-19 respiratory investigation wards and ICUs with confirmed COVID-19 patients, respectively Ge et al ( 2020 ) 28 samples were collected using 2-stage cyclone samplers (NIOSH BC 251), filter cassette containing a Teflon® filter ( D = 37 mm and 2 μm porosity), and a sampling pump (PCXR-4, SKC, Eighty-Four, PA) at a flow rate of 3.5 L/min for 315–360 min All samples were negative for SARS-CoV-2 Lane et al ( 2020 ) Liquid impactors Air samples were collected in COVID-19 isolation rooms used for three patients with severe pneumonia, using a SKC BioSampler at 12.5 L/min and at 10 L/min, both for 20 min, placed 1.2 m from the floor, and at a 1-m distance from patients All samples were negative for SARS-CoV-2 Ahn et al ( 2020 ) 10 air samples were collected during 1 h, using a vacuum pump at 1.5 L/min, in SKC sterile standard midget impingers at a height of 1.5–1.8 m from the floor and at a distance of 2–5 m from beds of patients with severe and critical symptoms All samples were negative for SARS-CoV-2 Faridi et al ( 2020 ) Air samples were collected using a SASS 2300 wetted wall cyclone sampler (Research International, Inc., https://www.resrchintl.com ) at 300 L/min for 30 min SARS-CoV-2 was detected in air at a 4-m distance from patients Guo et al ( 2020 ) Air samples were collected using a high-volume WA 400 Portable viral aerosol sampler (Dingblue Tech, Inc.), at 400 L/min for 15 min SARS-CoV-2 was detected in 01 out of 02 air samples Jin et al ( 2020 ) Air samples were collected using the SKC impinger-type biosampler at a flow rate of 12 L/min, placed 1.5 m from the floor 02 out of 14 air samples were positive for SARS-CoV-2 Kenarkoohi et al ( 2020 ) 135 air samples were collected using an impinger sampler (BIO-Capturer-6, Bioenrichment Co., Hangzhou, China), for 30 min at 80 L/min, and placed 1.0–1.5 m from the floor All samples were negative for SARS-CoV-2 Li et al ( 2020 ) 26 air sam...…”

Challenges and Perspectives for Biosensing of Bioaerosol Containing Pathogenic Microorganisms

“…According to the report from the World Health Organization, lower respiratory infections remained the world’s most deadly communicable disease and were ranked as the 4th leading cause of death, resulting in 2.6 million deaths in 2019 [ 6 ]. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2003 [ 7 , 8 ], H1N1 Influenza in 2009 [ 9 , 10 ], Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in 2013 [ 11 , 12 , 13 ], and Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in 2019 [ 14 , 15 , 16 ] could also be spread through bioaerosols, which pose a great threat to global public health. Therefore, it is vital to monitor bioaerosols containing microorganism pathogens for prevention and control of the outbreaks of epidemic airborne diseases.…”