@article{3192146,
    title = "Environmental contamination of SARS-CoV-2 on surfaces, air-conditioner
and ventilation systems",
    author = "Mouchtouri, Varvara A. and Koureas, Michalis and Kyritsi, Maria and and Vontas, Alexandros and Kourentis, Leonidas and Sapounas, Spyros and and Rigakos, George and Petinaki, Efthimia and Tsiodras, Sotirios and and Hadjichristodoulou, Christos",
    journal = "International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health",
    year = "2020",
    volume = "230",
    publisher = "Elsevier GmbH",
    issn = "1438-4639",
    doi = "10.1016/j.ijheh.2020.113599",
    keywords = "SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; Surfaces; Air; Food safety; Ship; Outbreak;
Disinfection; Waste; Ventilation system; Air-conditioning system;
Nursing home; Sewage; Airborne",
    abstract = "Background: COVID-19 can be transmitted directly through respiratory
droplets or indirectly through fomites. SARS-CoV-2 has been detected on
various environmental surfaces, air samples and sewage in hospital and
community settings.
Methods: Environmental samples were collected from a ferryboat during a
COVID-19 ongoing outbreak inves-tigation and a nursing home and from
three COVID-19 isolation hospital wards and a long-term care facility
where asymptomatic COVID-19 cases were isolated. Samples were tested by
real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction.
Results: SARS-CoV-2 was detected on swab samples taken from surfaces of
food preparation and service areas, hospital isolation wards, an air
exhaust duct screen, air-conditioning filter, sewage treatment unit and
air sample during investigations conducted in response to COVID-19
outbreaks on a ferryboat, nursing home, isolation facility and COVID-19
hospital wards.
Discussion: Food preparation areas and utensils can be contaminated
during COVID-19 outbreaks. Respiratory droplets/nuclei from infected
persons can be displaced by the air flow and deposited on surfaces. It
can be assumed that in the same manner, air flow could transfer and
deposit infected respiratory droplets/nuclei from infected persons to
the mucous membranes of persons standing against the air flow direction."
}