SARS-CoV-2 RNA in exhaled air of hospitalized COVID-19 patients

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 12; no. 1; p. 8991
• Main Authors: Kurver, Lisa, van den Kieboom, Corné H, Lanke, Kjerstin, Diavatopoulos, Dimitri A, Overheul, Gijs J, Netea, Mihai G, Ten Oever, Jaap, van Crevel, Reinout, Mulders-Manders, Karin, van de Veerdonk, Frank L, Wertheim, Heiman, Schouten, Jeroen, Rahamat-Langendoen, Janette, van Rij, Ronald P, Bousema, Teun, van Laarhoven, Arjan, de Jonge, Marien I
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Nature Publishing Group 30.05.2022; Nature Publishing Group UK; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: Air sampling; Breath tests; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Disease transmission; Epidemiology; Hospitalization; Pandemics; Patients; Ribonucleic acid; RNA; Saliva; Samplers; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-13008-4

Knowledge about contagiousness is key to accurate management of hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Epidemiological studies suggest that in addition to transmission through droplets, aerogenic SARS-CoV-2 transmission contributes to the spread of infection. However, the presence of virus in exhaled air has not yet been sufficiently demonstrated. In pandemic situations low tech disposable and user-friendly bedside devices are required, while commercially available samplers are unsuitable for application in patients with respiratory distress. We included 49 hospitalized COVID-19 patients and used a disposable modular breath sampler to measure SARS-CoV-2 RNA load in exhaled air samples and compared these to SARS-CoV-2 RNA load of combined nasopharyngeal throat swabs and saliva. Exhaled air sampling using the modular breath sampler has proven feasible in a clinical COVID-19 setting and demonstrated viral detection in 25% of the patients.