Study finds SARS-CoV-2 virus in Covid-19 wards, absent in non-Covid-19 wards of hospitals

The novel coronavirus - SARS-CoV-2 - was detected in the air samples from Covid-19 wards of hospitals but was absent in the samples collected from the non-Covid-19 wards, a study by the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad and Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTech), Chandigarh, found.

The study by the two research centres suggested that the demarcation of hospital zones - into Covid-19 and non-Covid-19 zones - has, thereby, been an effective strategy in containing the spread of the virus.

Read: India to get first shots of Covid-19 vaccine on Jan 13

The report, which is yet to be peer-reviewed, also showed the chances of contracting SARS-CoV-2 from the air is directly related to the number of Covid-19 positive persons in the room, their symptomatic status and the duration of exposure.

The findings on the airborne nature of the novel coronavirus were based on samples collected from three hospitals in Hyderabad and three in Chandigarh. Air samples were used to collect the virus particles, and then their presence determined by RT-PCR tests.

When Covid-19 positive individuals spent longer hours in a room, the virus was found to stay in the air for over two hours and spreads as far as over two metres from where they're seated.

As for those who asymptomatic of the virus, when they're seated in a room without airflow triggered a fan or AC, SARS-CoV-2 does not spread far from them, researchers said.

Read: 20 more test positive for new coronavirus strain in India; tally rises to 58

“Our findings reconfirm that the coronavirus can stay in air for some time. It also underlines the importance of Covid-19 preventive guidelines that we already have in place to curb this pandemic,” Dr Rakesh Mishra, Director, CCMB told DH.

“Till the vaccines are available, social vaccine i.e. wearing mask remains the best prevention,” said Dr Sanjeev Khosla, Director of IMTech.

“By ensuring good hygiene protocols like regular hand washing, using masks effectively and preventing symptomatic people away from public interactions, we can start getting back to normalcy quickly and comfortably,” Dr Mishra, the study's co-author, says.