Abstract

The rapid spread of the SARS-CoV-2 in the COVID-19 pandemic had raised questions on the route of transmission of this disease. Initial understanding was that transmission originated from respiratory droplets from an infected host to a susceptible host. However, indirect contact transmission of viable virus by fomites and through aerosols has also been suggested. Herein, we report the involvement of fine indoor air particulates with a diameter of ≤ 2.5 µm (PM2.5) as the virus’s transport agent. PM2.5 was collected over four weeks during 48-h measurement intervals in four separate hospital wards containing different infected clusters in a teaching hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Our results indicated the highest SARS-CoV-2 RNA on PM2.5 in the ward with number of occupants. We suggest a link between the virus-laden PM2.5 and the ward’s design. Patients’ symptoms and numbers influence the number of airborne SARS-CoV-2 RNA with PM2.5 in an enclosed environment.

Details

Title
Particulate matter (PM2.5) as a potential SARS-CoV-2 carrier
Author
Shafinaz, Nor Norefrina, Md 1 ; Yip, Chee Wai 1 ; Ibrahim Nazlina 1 ; Jaafar Mohd Hasni 2 ; Rashid Zetti Zainol 3 ; Mustafa Norlaila 4 ; Hamid Haris Hafizal Abd 5 ; Kuhan, Chandru 6 ; Latif Mohd Talib 5 ; Er, Saw Phei 7 ; Lin Chin Yik 8 ; Maulana, Alhasa Kemal 7 ; Hashim, Jamal Hisham 9 ; Nadzir Mohd Shahrul Mohd 5 

 Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia UKM, Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Bangi, Malaysia (GRID:grid.412113.4) (ISNI:0000 0004 1937 1557) 
 Universiti Kebangsaan Medical Centre, Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (GRID:grid.412113.4) (ISNI:0000 0004 1937 1557) 
 Universiti Kebangsaan Medical Centre, Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (GRID:grid.412113.4) (ISNI:0000 0004 1937 1557) 
 Universiti Kebangsaan Medical Centre, Consultant Physician and Endocrinologist, Faculty of Medicine, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (GRID:grid.412113.4) (ISNI:0000 0004 1937 1557) 
 Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Department of Earth Sciences and Environment, Faculty of Science and Technology, Bangi, Malaysia (GRID:grid.412113.4) (ISNI:0000 0004 1937 1557) 
 Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Institute of Climate Change, Space Science Centre (ANGKASA), Bangi, Malaysia (GRID:grid.412113.4) (ISNI:0000 0004 1937 1557) 
 Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China (GRID:grid.12981.33) (ISNI:0000 0001 2360 039X) 
 University of Malaya, Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (GRID:grid.10347.31) (ISNI:0000 0001 2308 5949) 
 Universiti Selangor, Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Shah Alam, Malaysia (GRID:grid.444500.1) (ISNI:0000 0004 1798 1490) 
Publication year
2021
Publication date
2021
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20452322
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2482358138
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2021. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.