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Updated: Nov 22, 2025

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Endoscopes used in positive and critically ill patients are SARS-CoV-2 negative at virological assessment

Ivo Boškoski1, Anna Di Gemma2, Maria Valeria Matteo2

  • 1Digestive Endoscopy Unit, Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli, Roma, Lazio, Italy ivo.boskoski@policlinicogemelli.it.

Gut
|January 7, 2021
PubMed

Insights

This pilot study investigated SARS-CoV-2 elimination on endoscopes. Surprisingly, the virus was undetectable on endoscopes from critically ill patients, regardless of reprocessing method.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Gastroenterology
  • Endoscopy

Background:

  • Endoscopes pose a potential SARS-CoV-2 transmission risk.
  • Current reprocessing methods' efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 is unconfirmed.
  • High-level disinfection is crucial for endoscope safety.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of peracetic acid high-level disinfection for SARS-CoV-2 elimination.
  • To assess SARS-CoV-2 presence on endoscopes used in critically ill patients.

Main Methods:

  • Pilot study design.
  • High-level disinfection of endoscopes using peracetic acid.
  • Testing for SARS-CoV-2 on various endoscope parts.

Main Results:

  • SARS-CoV-2 was not detected on any endoscope parts.
  • This finding was consistent across all endoscope types and procedures.
  • The virus was undetectable in endoscopes from critically ill patients.

Conclusions:

  • Current high-level disinfection may effectively eliminate SARS-CoV-2 from endoscopes.
  • Further large-scale studies are needed to confirm these unexpected findings.
  • This could alter the understanding of SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics.
Keywords:
diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy

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