Surface contamination with SARS-CoV-2: A systematic review

Area of Science:

• Environmental microbiology
• Infectious disease epidemiology
• Public health

Background:

• Contaminated surfaces represent a potential transmission route for SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19.
• A comprehensive systematic review is needed to consolidate existing knowledge and guide future research on SARS-CoV-2 surface contamination.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and summarize studies that have detected SARS-CoV-2 on inanimate surfaces.
• To provide an overview of the current scientific understanding of SARS-CoV-2 surface contamination.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search of PubMed/MEDLINE and Scopus databases for studies published since the emergence of SARS-CoV-2.
• Inclusion of studies reporting SARS-CoV-2 detection on inanimate surfaces.
• Exclusion of duplicate and unrelated studies, resulting in 37 eligible publications.

Main Results:

• This review presents the first overview of SARS-CoV-2 detection on various inanimate surfaces.
• The highest rates of SARS-CoV-2 detection were observed in hospitals and healthcare facilities housing COVID-19 patients.
• Contamination was documented across a diverse range of environments and surface types.

Conclusions:

• SARS-CoV-2 has been detected on numerous surfaces, particularly within healthcare settings.
• A significant gap exists in studies assessing the viability of SARS-CoV-2 recovered from surfaces.
• The potential for SARS-CoV-2 transmission via contaminated surfaces remains unevaluated due to the lack of viability data.