Omicron Positivity in Air of Hospital Settings Gathered COVID-19 Patients, Vaccinated/Unvaccinated Populations
Abstract The Omicron variant spreads quicker than the earlier variants and can evade the immune response. The behavior changes and waning immunity could cause large numbers of COVID-19 infections and potential hospitalizations. Here, we present a cross-sectional/longitudinal study conducted in a ter...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Springer
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Aerosol and Air Quality Research |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.4209/aaqr.220388 |
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| author | Zeynep Ece Kuloğlu Zeynep Bengi Eren Bedirhan Haykar Cansel Vatansever Tayfun Barlas Mert Ahmet Kuskucu Gülen Güney-Esken Füsun Can |
| author_facet | Zeynep Ece Kuloğlu Zeynep Bengi Eren Bedirhan Haykar Cansel Vatansever Tayfun Barlas Mert Ahmet Kuskucu Gülen Güney-Esken Füsun Can |
| author_sort | Zeynep Ece Kuloğlu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The Omicron variant spreads quicker than the earlier variants and can evade the immune response. The behavior changes and waning immunity could cause large numbers of COVID-19 infections and potential hospitalizations. Here, we present a cross-sectional/longitudinal study conducted in a tertiary hospital in Istanbul. In the cross-sectional part, we collected aerosol samples from clinical and public areas in the hospital. We performed qPCR and viral culture. In the pediatrics, outpatient clinic waiting room, where the children were without masks, and unvaccinated, 66% of the samples were positive for viral RNA. However, the positivity rate was 14% in the staff dining hall where everybody was without masks but fully vaccinated. The viral RNA was positive in 50% of the COVID-19 patient rooms, 33% of the febrile disease outpatient clinic, and 33% of the clinical laboratory waiting room. There was no viral growth in the culture of all samples. The highest viral load was detected in the COVID-19 patient room (3.60 × 1010 PFU m−3), followed by the pediatrics outpatient clinic waiting room (2.8 × 108 PFU m−3). In the longitudinal study, samples were collected 0, 2.5, 4.5, and 24 hours after a meeting in which all attendees were wearing masks and three participants were diagnosed with COVID-19. Only one sample collected 24 hours after the meeting was weakly positive for the viral RNA (1.12 × 102 PFU m−3). In conclusion, mask use and vaccination are still the main effective methods for preventing the COVID-19 Omicron variant in indoor environments. Unvaccinated children are a significant source of air contamination and risk further transmission of COVID-19. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-fcf160e11a4c4a16bb8fe1b61be2d811 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1680-8584 2071-1409 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | Springer |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Aerosol and Air Quality Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-fcf160e11a4c4a16bb8fe1b61be2d8112025-02-09T12:23:04ZengSpringerAerosol and Air Quality Research1680-85842071-14092023-06-012381810.4209/aaqr.220388Omicron Positivity in Air of Hospital Settings Gathered COVID-19 Patients, Vaccinated/Unvaccinated PopulationsZeynep Ece Kuloğlu0Zeynep Bengi Eren1Bedirhan Haykar2Cansel Vatansever3Tayfun Barlas4Mert Ahmet Kuskucu5Gülen Güney-Esken6Füsun Can7Koc University School of Medicine, Graduate School of Health SciencesKoc University School of MedicineKoc University School of MedicineKoc University İsBank Research Center for Infectious Diseases (KUISCID)Koc University İsBank Research Center for Infectious Diseases (KUISCID)Koc University İsBank Research Center for Infectious Diseases (KUISCID)Koc University İsBank Research Center for Infectious Diseases (KUISCID)Koc University İsBank Research Center for Infectious Diseases (KUISCID)Abstract The Omicron variant spreads quicker than the earlier variants and can evade the immune response. The behavior changes and waning immunity could cause large numbers of COVID-19 infections and potential hospitalizations. Here, we present a cross-sectional/longitudinal study conducted in a tertiary hospital in Istanbul. In the cross-sectional part, we collected aerosol samples from clinical and public areas in the hospital. We performed qPCR and viral culture. In the pediatrics, outpatient clinic waiting room, where the children were without masks, and unvaccinated, 66% of the samples were positive for viral RNA. However, the positivity rate was 14% in the staff dining hall where everybody was without masks but fully vaccinated. The viral RNA was positive in 50% of the COVID-19 patient rooms, 33% of the febrile disease outpatient clinic, and 33% of the clinical laboratory waiting room. There was no viral growth in the culture of all samples. The highest viral load was detected in the COVID-19 patient room (3.60 × 1010 PFU m−3), followed by the pediatrics outpatient clinic waiting room (2.8 × 108 PFU m−3). In the longitudinal study, samples were collected 0, 2.5, 4.5, and 24 hours after a meeting in which all attendees were wearing masks and three participants were diagnosed with COVID-19. Only one sample collected 24 hours after the meeting was weakly positive for the viral RNA (1.12 × 102 PFU m−3). In conclusion, mask use and vaccination are still the main effective methods for preventing the COVID-19 Omicron variant in indoor environments. Unvaccinated children are a significant source of air contamination and risk further transmission of COVID-19.https://doi.org/10.4209/aaqr.220388COVID-19AerosolMaskVaccinationTransmission |
| spellingShingle | Zeynep Ece Kuloğlu Zeynep Bengi Eren Bedirhan Haykar Cansel Vatansever Tayfun Barlas Mert Ahmet Kuskucu Gülen Güney-Esken Füsun Can Omicron Positivity in Air of Hospital Settings Gathered COVID-19 Patients, Vaccinated/Unvaccinated Populations Aerosol and Air Quality Research COVID-19 Aerosol Mask Vaccination Transmission |
| title | Omicron Positivity in Air of Hospital Settings Gathered COVID-19 Patients, Vaccinated/Unvaccinated Populations |
| title_full | Omicron Positivity in Air of Hospital Settings Gathered COVID-19 Patients, Vaccinated/Unvaccinated Populations |
| title_fullStr | Omicron Positivity in Air of Hospital Settings Gathered COVID-19 Patients, Vaccinated/Unvaccinated Populations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Omicron Positivity in Air of Hospital Settings Gathered COVID-19 Patients, Vaccinated/Unvaccinated Populations |
| title_short | Omicron Positivity in Air of Hospital Settings Gathered COVID-19 Patients, Vaccinated/Unvaccinated Populations |
| title_sort | omicron positivity in air of hospital settings gathered covid 19 patients vaccinated unvaccinated populations |
| topic | COVID-19 Aerosol Mask Vaccination Transmission |
| url | https://doi.org/10.4209/aaqr.220388 |
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