Probing the Affinity of Coronavirus with Contact Surfaces in Simulated Body Fluids

Transmission of viral pathogens has raised serious public health concerns, but the affinity and strength of viruses adhering to high-touch surfaces are not clear. We systematically investigated the propensities of a coronavirus, Murine hepatitis virus A59 (MHV), adhering onto and releasing from four representative contact surfaces, silica, stainless steel, cellulose, and polystyrene, in simulated saliva and urine using quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D). We also quantified the interactions between MHV and contact surfaces using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Both initial adhesion rates and saturated adhesion mass of MHV were higher in urine buffer than in saliva buffer, which is attributed to the higher repulsions between the virus and surfaces in the presence of mucin. The maximum adhesion mass of MHV follows the order of stainless steel > silica > cellulose ≈ polystyrene in both urine and saliva buffers. Stainless steel and silica are surfaces with likely higher risks of virus contamination due to their highest maximum adhesion mass in both urine and saliva buffers and lower virus release percentages upon water rinse. The results of this study will provide insights into risk assessment and control of pathogens associated with contact surfaces.