On Mar. 29, 2020, a study by UNMC/Nebraska Medicine/NSRI researchers provides new evidence of SARS-CoV-2 environmental contamination in COVID-19 patient care areas. SARS-CoV-2 is the virus which causes COVID-19 disease, which is now a worldwide pandemic.

Scientists from the University of Nebraska Medicine and Nebraska Medicine spoke Sunday on a recently published study, describing patterns of transmission in COVID-19. The study did provide additional evidence of SARS-CoV-2 environmental contamination in COVID-19 patient care areas, finding levels of genetic material from the COVID-19 virus contamination on commonly used surfaces, in the air of rooms of COVID-19 patients and in hallways outside of rooms.

“We are being very careful in the care of patients with COVID-19 or patients suspected to have COVID-19, and the study doesn’t change very much in the precautions that people should take,” said Mark Rupp, M.D., chief of the UNMC Division of Infectious Diseases.

Dr. Rupp said that there was widespread contamination within the patient care environment and evidence of the genetic material from the virus could be recovered in some air samples, confirming the importance of disinfecting the patient-care environment, further adding that COVID-19 transmission seems to be much like influenza and not like airborne diseases such as chicken pox or measles.

He added that influenza virus can also sometimes be found in the air in patient rooms particularly associated with aerosol generating procedures — such as intubation or bronchoscopy.