SARS-CoV-2 infection: the environmental endurance of the virus can be influenced by the increase of temperature

Abstract

ObjectivesTo evaluate whether the increase of temperature can influence the environmental endurance of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). MethodsVirus was inoculated on a plastic surface and harvested at predefined time-points in parallel at 20°C–25°C (room temperature; RT) and at 28°C (June temperature; JT). Samples were tested by TCID50 titres on Vero cells. ResultsOur results confirm that fomite transmission of the emerging SARS-CoV-2 is possible: the virus reserved its ability to infect cells for up to 84 hours at both RT and JT on a plastic surface, with TCID50 viral titres of 0.67 and 0.25 log10, respectively. At RT, an important reduction in the viral titre, from 4 log10 to 3 log10 TCID50, was observed during the first 24–36 hours. At JT, the same decay was observed more rapidly (between 8 and 12 hours), The rate of viral inactivation by D-value was 24.74 hours at RT and 12.21 hours at JT. ConclusionsThis remarkable difference between the two temperatures suggests that virus vitality can be influenced by the environmental temperature and that the hot season could reduce the probability of COVID-19 transmission.