Household Air Contamination: When SARS-CoV-2 Makes Itself at Home

Airborne SARS-CoV-2 was more common in the household setting than the inpatient setting.

Exposure to a household contact with COVID-19 is a significant risk factor for acquiring SARS-CoV-2. Given the concern that such transmission is mediated by aerosolized virus, investigators at a U.S. academic medical center assessed the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in air samples from 15 hospital inpatient rooms (14 in COVID units) compared with 5 households having at least one member with symptomatic COVID-19. All hospital rooms had ≥6 air changes hourly, and 1000 to 4000 L of air was sampled 0.3 to 1.8 m from the patient's head. In households, 1000 to 2000 L of air was sampled whether or not the patient was present.

Only 2 of 16 air samples from the inpatient rooms (the 4000-L samples collected 0.3 m from the patient) were positive for SARS-CoV-…

Reviewing Author

Richard T. Ellison III, MD

Disclosures

Consult/Advisory BoardAcurx Pharmaceuticals, LLC;

Grant/Research SupportDoctors Company Foundation, Massachusetts Department of Public Health

Richard T. Ellison III, MD

Disclosures

Consult/Advisory BoardAcurx Pharmaceuticals, LLC;

Grant/Research SupportDoctors Company Foundation, Massachusetts Department of Public Health

Household Air Contamination: When SARS-CoV-2 Makes Itself at Home

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Reviewing Author