Experimental aerosol survival of SARS-CoV-2 in artificial saliva and tissue culture media at medium and high humidity

SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of the COVID-19 pandemic, may be transmitted via airborne droplets or contact with surfaces onto which droplets have deposited. In this study, the ability of SARS-CoV-2 to survive in the dark, at two different relative humidity values and within artificial saliva, a c...

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Main Authors: Sophie J. Smither, Lin S. Eastaugh, James S. Findlay, Mark S. Lever
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2020-01-01
Series:Emerging Microbes and Infections
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/22221751.2020.1777906
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author Sophie J. Smither
Lin S. Eastaugh
James S. Findlay
Mark S. Lever
author_facet Sophie J. Smither
Lin S. Eastaugh
James S. Findlay
Mark S. Lever
author_sort Sophie J. Smither
collection DOAJ
description SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of the COVID-19 pandemic, may be transmitted via airborne droplets or contact with surfaces onto which droplets have deposited. In this study, the ability of SARS-CoV-2 to survive in the dark, at two different relative humidity values and within artificial saliva, a clinically relevant matrix, was investigated. SARS-CoV-2 was found to be stable, in the dark, in a dynamic small particle aerosol under the four experimental conditions we tested and viable virus could still be detected after 90 minutes. The decay rate and half-life was determined and decay rates ranged from 0.4 to 2.27 % per minute and the half lives ranged from 30 to 177 minutes for the different conditions. This information can be used for advice and modelling and potential mitigation strategies.
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spelling doaj-art-b2ccaadc2d3b40898c22e6e0fcc8f65e2025-08-20T02:26:37ZengTaylor & Francis GroupEmerging Microbes and Infections2222-17512020-01-01911415141710.1080/22221751.2020.1777906Experimental aerosol survival of SARS-CoV-2 in artificial saliva and tissue culture media at medium and high humiditySophie J. Smither0Lin S. Eastaugh1James S. Findlay2Mark S. Lever3Chemical Biological and Radiological Division, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), Wiltshire, UKChemical Biological and Radiological Division, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), Wiltshire, UKChemical Biological and Radiological Division, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), Wiltshire, UKChemical Biological and Radiological Division, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), Wiltshire, UKSARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of the COVID-19 pandemic, may be transmitted via airborne droplets or contact with surfaces onto which droplets have deposited. In this study, the ability of SARS-CoV-2 to survive in the dark, at two different relative humidity values and within artificial saliva, a clinically relevant matrix, was investigated. SARS-CoV-2 was found to be stable, in the dark, in a dynamic small particle aerosol under the four experimental conditions we tested and viable virus could still be detected after 90 minutes. The decay rate and half-life was determined and decay rates ranged from 0.4 to 2.27 % per minute and the half lives ranged from 30 to 177 minutes for the different conditions. This information can be used for advice and modelling and potential mitigation strategies.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/22221751.2020.1777906SARS-CoV-2coronavirussurvivalaerosolsalivahumidity
spellingShingle Sophie J. Smither
Lin S. Eastaugh
James S. Findlay
Mark S. Lever
Experimental aerosol survival of SARS-CoV-2 in artificial saliva and tissue culture media at medium and high humidity
Emerging Microbes and Infections
SARS-CoV-2
coronavirus
survival
aerosol
saliva
humidity
title Experimental aerosol survival of SARS-CoV-2 in artificial saliva and tissue culture media at medium and high humidity
title_full Experimental aerosol survival of SARS-CoV-2 in artificial saliva and tissue culture media at medium and high humidity
title_fullStr Experimental aerosol survival of SARS-CoV-2 in artificial saliva and tissue culture media at medium and high humidity
title_full_unstemmed Experimental aerosol survival of SARS-CoV-2 in artificial saliva and tissue culture media at medium and high humidity
title_short Experimental aerosol survival of SARS-CoV-2 in artificial saliva and tissue culture media at medium and high humidity
title_sort experimental aerosol survival of sars cov 2 in artificial saliva and tissue culture media at medium and high humidity
topic SARS-CoV-2
coronavirus
survival
aerosol
saliva
humidity
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/22221751.2020.1777906
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AT jamessfindlay experimentalaerosolsurvivalofsarscov2inartificialsalivaandtissueculturemediaatmediumandhighhumidity
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