Infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 on Inanimate Surfaces: Don't Trust Ct Value
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Infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 on Inanimate Surfaces: Don't Trust Ct Value. / Knobloch, Johannes K; Pfefferle, Susanne; Lütgehetmann, Marc; Nörz, Dominik; Klupp, Eva M; Belmar Campos, Cristina E; Kluge, Stefan; Aepfelbacher, Martin; Knobling, Birte; Franke, Gefion.
in: INT J ENV RES PUB HE, Jahrgang 19, Nr. 24, 17074, 19.12.2022.Publikationen: SCORING: Beitrag in Fachzeitschrift/Zeitung › SCORING: Zeitschriftenaufsatz › Forschung › Begutachtung
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 on Inanimate Surfaces: Don't Trust Ct Value
AU - Knobloch, Johannes K
AU - Pfefferle, Susanne
AU - Lütgehetmann, Marc
AU - Nörz, Dominik
AU - Klupp, Eva M
AU - Belmar Campos, Cristina E
AU - Kluge, Stefan
AU - Aepfelbacher, Martin
AU - Knobling, Birte
AU - Franke, Gefion
PY - 2022/12/19
Y1 - 2022/12/19
N2 - SARS-CoV-2 RNA is frequently identified in patient rooms and it was speculated that the viral load quantified by PCR might correlate with infectivity of surfaces. To evaluate Ct values for the prediction of infectivity, we investigated contaminated surfaces and Ct-value changes after disinfection. Viral RNA was detected on 37 of 143 investigated surfaces of an ICU. However, virus isolation failed for surfaces with a high viral RNA load. Also, SARS-CoV-2 could not be cultivated from surfaces artificially contaminated with patient specimens. In order to evaluate the significance of Ct values more precisely, we used surrogate enveloped bacteriophage Φ6. A strong reduction in Φ6 was achieved by three different disinfection methods. Despite a strong reduction in viability almost no change in the Ct values was observed for UV-C and alcoholic surface disinfectant. Disinfection using ozone resulted in a lack of Φ6 recovery as well as a detectable shift in Ct values indicating strong degradation of the viral RNA. The observed lack of significant effects on the detectable viral RNA after effective disinfection suggest that quantitative PCR is not suitable for predicting the infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 on inanimate surfaces. Ct values should therefore not be considered as markers for infectivity in this context.
AB - SARS-CoV-2 RNA is frequently identified in patient rooms and it was speculated that the viral load quantified by PCR might correlate with infectivity of surfaces. To evaluate Ct values for the prediction of infectivity, we investigated contaminated surfaces and Ct-value changes after disinfection. Viral RNA was detected on 37 of 143 investigated surfaces of an ICU. However, virus isolation failed for surfaces with a high viral RNA load. Also, SARS-CoV-2 could not be cultivated from surfaces artificially contaminated with patient specimens. In order to evaluate the significance of Ct values more precisely, we used surrogate enveloped bacteriophage Φ6. A strong reduction in Φ6 was achieved by three different disinfection methods. Despite a strong reduction in viability almost no change in the Ct values was observed for UV-C and alcoholic surface disinfectant. Disinfection using ozone resulted in a lack of Φ6 recovery as well as a detectable shift in Ct values indicating strong degradation of the viral RNA. The observed lack of significant effects on the detectable viral RNA after effective disinfection suggest that quantitative PCR is not suitable for predicting the infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 on inanimate surfaces. Ct values should therefore not be considered as markers for infectivity in this context.
KW - Humans
KW - SARS-CoV-2/genetics
KW - COVID-19
KW - RNA, Viral/genetics
KW - Trust
KW - Patients' Rooms
KW - Disinfection
U2 - 10.3390/ijerph192417074
DO - 10.3390/ijerph192417074
M3 - SCORING: Journal article
C2 - 36554950
VL - 19
JO - INT J ENV RES PUB HE
JF - INT J ENV RES PUB HE
SN - 1660-4601
IS - 24
M1 - 17074
ER -