SARS-CoV-2 air and surface contamination in residential settings.

SARS-CoV-2 transmission occurs mainly indoors, through virus-laden airborne particles. Although the presence and infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 in aerosol are now acknowledged, the underlying circumstances for its occurrence are still under investigation. The contamination of domiciliary environments during the isolation of SARS-CoV-2-infected patients in their respective rooms in individual houses and in a nursing home was investigated by collecting surface and air samples in these environments. Surface contamination was detected in different contexts, both on high and low-touch surfaces. To determine the presence of virus particles in the air, two sampling methodologies were used: air and deposition sampling. Positive deposition samples were found in sampling locations above the patient's height, and SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in impactation air samples within a size fraction below 2.5 µm. Surface samples rendered the highest positivity rate and persistence for a longer period. The presence of aerosolized SARS-CoV-2 RNA occurred mainly in deposition samples and closer to symptom onset. To evaluate the infectivity of selected positive samples, SARS-CoV-2 viability assays were performed, but our study was not able to validate the virus viability. The presented results confirm the presence of aerosolized SARS-CoV-2 RNA in indoor compartments occupied by COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms, in the absence of aerosol-generating clinical procedures.

Delayed Cutaneous Adverse Reaction of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine in a Breastfed Female Infant: A Coincidence or a Rare Effect?

The ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vector vaccine (Vaxzevria, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK) was developed at Oxford University and is considered safe for the administration in lactating mothers. Nevertheless, as a novel vaccine, there are gaps in the knowledge regarding possible adverse events in breastfeeding infants of vaccinated mothers. This case report provides first-time data on a possible delayed, cutaneous, adverse reaction in a breastfed, 16-month-old female infant after the first administration of the AstraZeneca vaccine to her 33-year-old mother. Even though, no clinical adverse effects were observed in the mother, her daughter had a 2-day rash in the lower extremities and face. The infant's cutaneous rashes might be a coincidental event. However, all skin lesions were analogous to previous descriptions and photographs of dermatologic reactions, which resolved spontaneously with no medical intervention, in people who had been vaccinated with other COVID-19 vaccines. Our aim is that this short report contributes to the enhancement of parental awareness about the possibility of similar skin rashes in breastfed children when the mothers receive a vaccination and the importance of reporting those adverse reactions to the competent authorities.