RESUMO
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may occur through multiple routes. We collected aerosol samples around six patients admitted into mixed acuity wards in April of 2020 to identify the risk of airborne SARS-CoV-2. Measurements were made to characterize the size distribution of aerosol particles, and size-fractionated, aerosol samples were collected to assess the presence of infectious virus in particles sizes of >4.1 {micro}m, 1-4 {micro}m, and <1 {micro}m in the patient environment. Samples were analyzed by real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR), cell culture, western blot, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in all six rooms in all particle size fractions (>4.1 {micro}m, 1-4 {micro}m, and <1 {micro}m). Increases in viral RNA during cell culture of the virus from recovered aerosol samples demonstrated the presence of infectious, replicating virions in three <1 {micro}m aerosol samples (P<0.05). Viral replication of aerosol was also observed in the 1-4 {micro}m stage but did not reach statistical significance (0.05
