Abstract
The outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) has attracted much attention to study its possible presence and airborne transmission. The possibility of COVID-19 airborne transmission in indoor environments is debatable. The present study examined the concentration of viral RNA-containing particles produced directly or indirectly by breathing or coughing of confirmed COVID-19 patients or by carriers without symptoms. Some studies do not accept this method of transmission (COVID-19 airborne transmission). The present study aimed to measure the possible exposure of health care personnel to SARS-CoV-2 particles that may have been suspended in the air to respond to the hypothesis of COVID-19 airborne transmission. Airborne particle sampling was performed using impingement method based on NIOSH (chapter BA) and ASHRAE. Selection of sampling sections was in line with the WHO guidelines. The samples were analyzed using RT-PCR technique. Based on the given results, airborne particles of COVID-19 may present in the air and affect the health of hospital personnel. In fact, the analysis of gene expression in ambient conditions and thereby aerosol transmission of SARS-CoV-2 through air is possible and may lead to occupational exposure of health care personnel. Furthermore, it was found that airborne emission of COVID-19 through the breathing zone of patients, particularly in ICU wards with confirmed cases of COVID-19, may be higher than in other ICU wards. Also, the demonstrated results showed that there is a possibility of reaerosolization (reintroduction) of previously airborne SARS-CoV-2 particles into the atmosphere due to health care personnel frequently walking between different wards and stations of ICU.
Highlights
Bioaerosols are very small airborne particles (0.001 to 100 μm) that originate from plants/animals and can contain living organisms (Georgakopoulos, et al 2009; Mandal and Brandl 2011)
Droplets with larger than 100 microns stay in air less than for 5 s in height of 1.5 m from the ground. (Marr et al 2019) Droplets larger than 10 microns settle faster by gravity (Crowe et al 1998), but droplets less than 10 microns stay in the air and spread throughout the room. (Tellier 2006) they have enough time to evaporate into droplet nuclei, with a size of 0.74 to 2.12 microns, which are involved in the airborne transmission of diseases. (Yang et al 2007) Many respiratory particles are very small at the moment of leaving the mouth and can stay in the air for several minutes or more before they evaporate and lose their water content
A total of 20 samples were collected from air to survey the possible occupational exposure of health care personnel with SARS-CoV-2 particles in ambient air of the intensive care unit of (ICU) ward
Summary
Bioaerosols are very small airborne particles (0.001 to 100 μm) that originate from plants/animals and can contain living organisms (Georgakopoulos, et al 2009; Mandal and Brandl 2011). Health care occupational exposure to bioaerosol can result in the deposition of the pathogen in the respiratory tract of the host causing disease and an immunological response. COVID-19 outbreak attracted much attention to study the possible transmission ways through bioaerosols. (Guzman 2020; WHO Organization 2020b) Respiratory droplets have a size distribution range of between a submicron to thousands of microns. Droplets with larger than 100 microns stay in air less than for 5 s in height of 1.5 m from the ground. (Tellier 2006) they have enough time to evaporate into droplet nuclei, with a size of 0.74 to 2.12 microns, which are involved in the airborne transmission of diseases. During a face to face conversation, there is a possibility of virus transmission by a COVID-19 carrier person. (Asadi et al 2020) Some cases of infection by COVID-19 are reported in people without any contact with confirmed cases; COVID-19 transmission through aerosols is possible. (Wang and Du 2020)
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