In the ventilation system at the University Hospital, virus particles have been found far from the spaces where covid patients are cared for. Whether the virus particles are still contagious has not been established, but the discovery may say something about the virus’ infectivity, according to the researchers.
At the Academic Hospital in Uppsala, virus particles have been found in the ventilation system – even up in the attic, tens of meters from spaces where covid patients are cared for. It is presented in a study published in the journal Scientific Reports. These findings suggest that airborne infection with regard to covid-19 may be a greater risk than we thought, says Erik Salaneck, researcher and infectious disease doctor at the University Hospital.
– The big core of this is that these findings – even if they in themselves may not mean that there is a risk of infection up in the attic – tell us that this could not have happened just through these larger water particles that you cough or possibly sneezing, which according to the theory then with the help of gravity should end up on the floor within one to two meters from the patient. It is the safety distances that have been specified, also in healthcare. And for us, this means that in an enclosed space where the air does not change much, which it does not here, we must actually think that one to two meters is not enough in that situation.
About the virus particles man found can actually spread infection has not been determined. More about what virus particles in the hospital’s ventilation system can mean – and if, for example, ventilation could have an effect on airborne infection – you can hear in Vetenskapsradion’s News in-depth study today at 12:09.
Reference: Nissen, K., Krambrich, J., Akaberi, D. et al. “Long-distance airborne dispersal of SARS-CoV-2 in COVID-19 wards”. Scientific Reports (2020). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-76442-2.
Source: ICELAND NEWS