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Particulate matter (PM2.5) as a potential SARS-CoV-2 carrier

Nor NSM 1 , Yip CW 1 , Ibrahim N 2 , Jaafar MH 3 , Rashid ZZ 4 , Mustafa N 5 Show all authors , Hamid HHA 6 , Chandru K 7 , Latif MT 6 , Saw PE 8 , Lin CY 9 , Alhasa KM 8 , Hashim JH 10 , Nadzir MSM 11

Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia UKM, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
  • 2 Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia UKM, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia. [email protected]
  • 3 Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Medical Centre, 56000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 4 Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Medical Centre, 56000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 5 Consultant Physician and Endocrinologist, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Medical Centre, 56000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 6 Department of Earth Sciences and Environment, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
  • 7 Institute of Climate Change, Space Science Centre (ANGKASA), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
  • 8 Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, People's Republic of China
  • 9 Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 10 Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Selangor, 40000, Shah Alam, Malaysia
  • 11 Department of Earth Sciences and Environment, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia. [email protected]
Sci Rep, 2021 01 28;11(1):2508.
PMID: 33510270 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-81935-9

Abstract

The rapid spread of the SARS-CoV-2 in the COVID-19 pandemic had raised questions on the route of transmission of this disease. Initial understanding was that transmission originated from respiratory droplets from an infected host to a susceptible host. However, indirect contact transmission of viable virus by fomites and through aerosols has also been suggested. Herein, we report the involvement of fine indoor air particulates with a diameter of ≤ 2.5 µm (PM2.5) as the virus's transport agent. PM2.5 was collected over four weeks during 48-h measurement intervals in four separate hospital wards containing different infected clusters in a teaching hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Our results indicated the highest SARS-CoV-2 RNA on PM2.5 in the ward with number of occupants. We suggest a link between the virus-laden PM2.5 and the ward's design. Patients' symptoms and numbers influence the number of airborne SARS-CoV-2 RNA with PM2.5 in an enclosed environment.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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