Thread by @DRTomlinsonEP

☕️ SARS2 Journal Club

h/t @trishgreenhalgh

'Hidden hazards of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in
hospitals: A systematic review'

Very timely, given #Omicron

@mjb302 @andymoz78 @microlabdoc @LawtonTri
I think you'll like this

#COVIDisAirborne
/1
doi.org/10.1111/ina.12…

'SARS-CoV-2 can be frequently detected in hospital air since 1:6 air samples were contaminated with SARS2. Airborne SARS2 RNA was detected throughout the hospital, regularly beyond the social distance of 2m from patients even extending up to 7.6m away from the nearest patients.'

'The nature of air contamination revealed the existence of patient-generated, size-fractionated, & infectious aerosols & that...only fine [<5microns] aerosols contained viable SARS-CoV-2.' @drkristenkc @Don_Milton

'The prevalence of virus-laden, fine aerosols [<5microns] in hospitals was also significantly higher than that of coarse aerosols or droplets, with a peak in size ranges <1 μm.' @kprather88 @jljcolorado

'In line with...published studies, these findings suggest that aerosols can both dominate particle exposure during close patient or staff contacts & remain suspended in the air over longer distances, underpinning the short & long-range aerosol transmission potential of SARS2.'

Irony alert:

'The most frequent & intense contamination of surfaces was found on air outlets...located either at the ceiling or far above head height. Such high deposition rates on surfaces that are hard to reach are unlikely to be the result of frequent touching...'

'...or contamination through large droplets.'

Lol; obvs. @YouAreLobbyLud @NjbBari3

And regarding mitigation of transmission risk...

'In addition, when HEPA filters were utilized, regardless of the type of ventilation, number of ACH or hospital area, minimal surface-borne & no airborne SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected.'

Worth repeating...
@mjb302 @andymoz78 @huwwaters @LawtonTri @CathNoakes

'In addition, when HEPA filters were utilized, regardless of the type of ventilation, number of ACH or hospital area, minimal surface-borne & no airborne SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected.'

Important because...

'In our review, patient rooms with 12 to 15 ACH or 12 air supplies & 16 air discharges per hour were similarly associated with surprisingly high detection rates of air- & surface-borne contamination.'

Very few NHS clinical areas have >15 AC/h; ICU has 10, general wards 0-6.

Great work by Noach Leon Ribaric, Charles Vincent, Günther Jonitz, Achim Hellinger & Goran Ribaric.

Anyone know them?

Hoping you can pass on my thanks please.

#COVIDisAirborne: another win for #HEPA

PS Universally applicable physical laws mean that these data will hold true everywhere on planet Earth.

Even in schools.
@AlisonGeorge10 @karamballes @HoppySaul @Sandyboots2020 @HelenRSalisbury @KamranAbbasi @ProfEmer @petermbenglish @SafeDavid3 @gallagher_rose @ShellyAsquith