Infectious SARS-CoV-2 found in hospital air

Scientists in Quebec have successfully isolated infectious particles of the SARS-CoV-2 virus from an air sample taken from a COVID-19 patient’s hospital room and cryopreserved for over a year, a new study shows. I’m here.

The study was conducted by a team led by Natalie Grandvaux, a Research Center for CHUM (CRCHUM) researcher and professor at the University of Montreal, in collaboration with teams by Caroline Duchein (University of Laval) and Yves Longtin (University of McGill). went.

was announced in clinical microbiology and infectious diseases, of study It provides insight into an area of ​​science that has been largely unexplored since the beginning of the pandemic: the airborne transmission of the virus that causes COVID-19.

“Our study shows that it is possible to isolate and culture infectious viruses from air samples through models,” said Nathalie Granvaux. “This is possible even if the samples were taken over a year ago and were cryopreserved prior to cell culture.”

If public health authorities, including the World Health Organization, were slow to recognize airborne transmission of the virus, it is partly because there is limited scientific evidence for the presence of infectious virus particles in aerosols.

“These studies are difficult to conduct,” said Nathalie Granvaux. ”

unique way

Audray Fortin, a researcher on Nathalie Grandvaux’s team and lead author of the study, developed a proprietary cell culture that amplifies minute amounts of virus collected by Canadian bioaerosol expert Caroline Duchaine and her team. developed the law.

This is another science that requires samplers — a series of collection devices placed inside a COVID-19 patient’s room — used to keep the virus infective and protected during storage. It was a feat.

In this study, a total of 30 samples from 10 different rooms of COVID-19 patients were collected and cryopreserved in a biobank for 14 months.

Using an aerosol sample from one patient’s room, a team of scientists was able to identify the presence of replicating viral particles.

“Thanks to our method, it is still possible to retrospectively assess the presence of infectious SARS-CoV-2 in samples collected during different waves of the pandemic,” said Nathalie Granvaux. “This data will help us better understand the importance of airborne transmission of the virus and implement appropriate prevention strategies.”

prepare for the next pandemic

The findings can be used to prepare for the next pandemic, whether it’s SARS-CoV-2 or another respiratory virus, she added.

“Our study should raise awareness of airborne viruses. It demonstrates the importance of targeting airborne infections in individual and collective protective measures, including improving indoor air quality.” I claim my sexuality.”

The collection and culture method can also be applied in closed non-hospital settings, such as schools, to test air quality and assess the effectiveness of protective measures against airborne transmission of viruses.

About this research

“Viable detection of SARS-CoV-2 in retrospective analysis of aerosol samples collected from hospital rooms of COVID-19 patients” Published online on March 22, 2023 by Audray Fortin et al. Clinical microbiology and infectious diseasesThis research was funded by the Fonds de Recherche du Québec-Santé and the Fondation du CHUM.

About CRCHUM

of University of Montreal Hospital Research Center (CRCHUM) is one of North America’s leading hospital research centers. It strives to improve adult health through a suite of research covering areas such as basic science, clinical research and public health. CRCHUM employs more than 2,300 of his people, including more than 500 researchers and his more than 520 graduate students. chumontreal.qc.ca/Kulm @CRCHUM

About the University of Montreal

Deeply rooted in Montreal and dedicated to its international mission, the University of Montreal is one of the world’s leading research universities and one of the five best French universities. Together with its partner schools Polytechnique Montréal and HEC Montréal, UdeM raises over $500 million in research funding each year, making it one of Canada’s top university research hubs. UdeM has an active global network of nearly 70,000 students, 2,300 professors and researchers, and her 450,000 alumni. umontreal.ca/en