Collection of SARS-CoV-2 Virus from the Air of a Clinic within a University Student Health Care Center and Analyses of the Viral Genomic Sequence

• Published in: Aerosol and air quality research Vol. 20; no. 6; pp. 1167 - 1171
• Main Authors: Lednicky, John A., Shankar, Sripriya N., Elbadry, Maha A., Gibson, Julia C., Alam, Md. Mahbubul, Stephenson, Caroline J., Eiguren-Fernandez, Arantzazu, Morris, J. Glenn, Mavian, Carla N., Salemi, Marco, Clugston, James R., Wu, Chang-Yu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.06.2020; Taiwan Association of Aerosol Research; Springer
• Subjects: Aerosol; Aerosols; Air sampling; Cell culture; Collection; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Feasibility studies; Gene sequencing; Genomes; Genomics; Health care; Impacts and Mitigation (II); Inoculation; Masks; Mutation; Pandemics; Patients; Severe acute respiratory syndrome; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Special Issue on COVID-19 Aerosol Drivers; Students; Viral diseases; Viruses; New York; United States > US; Georgia; COVID-19; Aerosol; Air sampling
• DOI: 10.4209/aaqr.2020.05.0202
• ISSN: 1680-8584

The progression of COVID-19 worldwide can be tracked by identifying mutations within the genomic sequence of SARS-CoV-2 that occur as a function of time. Such efforts currently rely on sequencing the genome of SARS-CoV-2 in patient specimens (direct sequencing) or of virus isolated from patient specimens in cell cultures. A pilot SARS-CoV-2 air sampling study conducted at a clinic within a university student health care center detected the virus vRNA, with an estimated concentration of 0.87 virus genomes L −1 air. To determine whether the virus detected was viable (‘live’), attempts were made to isolate the virus in cell cultures. Virus-induced cytopathic effects (CPE) were observed within two days post-inoculation of Vero E6 cells with collection media from air samples; however, rtRT-PCR tests for SARS-CoV-2 vRNA from cell culture were negative. Instead, three other fast-growing human respiratory viruses were isolated and subsequently identified, illustrating the challenge in isolating SARS-CoV-2 when multiple viruses are present in a test sample. The complete SAR-CoV-2 genomic sequence was nevertheless determined by Sanger sequencing and most closely resembles SARS-CoV-2 genomes previously described in Georgia, USA. Results of this study illustrate the feasibility of tracking progression of the COVID-19 pandemic using environmental aerosol samples instead of human specimens. Collection of a positive sample from a distance more than 2 m away from the nearest patient traffic implies the virus was in an aerosol.