SARS-CoV-2 in exhaled aerosol particles from covid-19 cases and its association to household transmission
Alsved, Malin LU
; Nygren, David
LU
; Thuresson, Sara
LU
; Medstrand, Patrik
LU
; Fraenkel, Carl-Johan
LU
and Löndahl, Jakob
LU
(2022)
In Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America
75(1).
p.50-56
- Abstract
BACKGROUND: Covid-19 transmission via exhaled aerosol particles has been considered an important route for the spread of infection, especially during super-spreading events involving loud talking or singing. However, no study has previously linked measurements of viral aerosol emissions to transmission rates.
METHODS: During Feb-Mar 2021, covid-19 cases that were close to symptom onset were visited with a mobile laboratory for collection of exhaled aerosol particles during breathing, talking and singing, respectively, and of nasopharyngeal and saliva samples. Aerosol samples were collected using a BioSpot-VIVAS and a NIOSH bc-251 two-stage cyclone, and all samples were analyzed by RT-qPCR for SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection. We compared... (More)
BACKGROUND: Covid-19 transmission via exhaled aerosol particles has been considered an important route for the spread of infection, especially during super-spreading events involving loud talking or singing. However, no study has previously linked measurements of viral aerosol emissions to transmission rates.
METHODS: During Feb-Mar 2021, covid-19 cases that were close to symptom onset were visited with a mobile laboratory for collection of exhaled aerosol particles during breathing, talking and singing, respectively, and of nasopharyngeal and saliva samples. Aerosol samples were collected using a BioSpot-VIVAS and a NIOSH bc-251 two-stage cyclone, and all samples were analyzed by RT-qPCR for SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection. We compared transmission rates between households with aerosol-positive and aerosol-negative index cases.
RESULTS: SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in at least one aerosol sample from 19 of 38 (50%) included cases. The odds ratio of finding positive aerosol samples decreased with each day from symptom onset (OR 0.55, 95CI 0.30-1.0, p=0.049). The highest number of positive aerosol samples were from singing, 16 (42%), followed by talking, 11 (30%), and the least from breathing, 3 (8%). Index cases were identified for 13 households with 31 exposed contacts. Higher transmission rates were observed in households with aerosol-positive index cases, 10/16 infected (63%), compared to households with aerosol-negative index cases, 4/15 infected (27%) (Chi-square test, p=0.045).
CONCLUSIONS: Covid-19 cases were more likely to exhale SARS-CoV-2-containing aerosol particles close to symptom onset and during singing or talking as compared to breathing. This study supports that individuals with SARS-CoV-2 in exhaled aerosols are more likely to transmit covid-19.
(Less)
- author
- Alsved, Malin
LU
; Nygren, David
LU
; Thuresson, Sara
LU
; Medstrand, Patrik
LU
; Fraenkel, Carl-Johan
LU
and Löndahl, Jakob
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2022-03-10
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America
- volume
- 75
- issue
- 1
- pages
- 50 - 56
- publisher
- Oxford University Press
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85144541924
- pmid:35271734
- ISSN
- 1537-6591
- DOI
- 10.1093/cid/ciac202
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 0f85f046-4cb2-473d-ad40-f64f203ecce8
- date added to LUP
- 2022-05-01 12:31:18
- date last changed
- 2025-03-21 21:32:55
@article{0f85f046-4cb2-473d-ad40-f64f203ecce8,
abstract = {{<p>BACKGROUND: Covid-19 transmission via exhaled aerosol particles has been considered an important route for the spread of infection, especially during super-spreading events involving loud talking or singing. However, no study has previously linked measurements of viral aerosol emissions to transmission rates.</p><p>METHODS: During Feb-Mar 2021, covid-19 cases that were close to symptom onset were visited with a mobile laboratory for collection of exhaled aerosol particles during breathing, talking and singing, respectively, and of nasopharyngeal and saliva samples. Aerosol samples were collected using a BioSpot-VIVAS and a NIOSH bc-251 two-stage cyclone, and all samples were analyzed by RT-qPCR for SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection. We compared transmission rates between households with aerosol-positive and aerosol-negative index cases.</p><p>RESULTS: SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in at least one aerosol sample from 19 of 38 (50%) included cases. The odds ratio of finding positive aerosol samples decreased with each day from symptom onset (OR 0.55, 95CI 0.30-1.0, p=0.049). The highest number of positive aerosol samples were from singing, 16 (42%), followed by talking, 11 (30%), and the least from breathing, 3 (8%). Index cases were identified for 13 households with 31 exposed contacts. Higher transmission rates were observed in households with aerosol-positive index cases, 10/16 infected (63%), compared to households with aerosol-negative index cases, 4/15 infected (27%) (Chi-square test, p=0.045).</p><p>CONCLUSIONS: Covid-19 cases were more likely to exhale SARS-CoV-2-containing aerosol particles close to symptom onset and during singing or talking as compared to breathing. This study supports that individuals with SARS-CoV-2 in exhaled aerosols are more likely to transmit covid-19.</p>}},
author = {{Alsved, Malin and Nygren, David and Thuresson, Sara and Medstrand, Patrik and Fraenkel, Carl-Johan and Löndahl, Jakob}},
issn = {{1537-6591}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{03}},
number = {{1}},
pages = {{50--56}},
publisher = {{Oxford University Press}},
series = {{Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America}},
title = {{SARS-CoV-2 in exhaled aerosol particles from covid-19 cases and its association to household transmission}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciac202}},
doi = {{10.1093/cid/ciac202}},
volume = {{75}},
year = {{2022}},
}