Environmental Surface Contamination with SARS-CoV-2: Toilets as the Most Contaminated Surfaces in COVID-19 Referral Hospital.

PREVENTION of infectious disease transmission; CROSS infection prevention; HOSPITALS; REVERSE transcriptase polymerase chain reaction; EXPERIMENTAL design; COVID-19; RESTROOMS; MEDICAL equipment contamination; RNA; ENVIRONMENTAL health; INFECTION control; MEDICAL referrals; RESEARCH funding; STERILIZATION (Disinfection); MICROBIAL contamination; PREVENTION

The possibility of surface transmission in hospitals with high density of COVID- 19 patients is unneglectable. The aim of this study is to determine the extent of surface contamination in coronavirus central hospital of Ilam province in western Iran. In this experimental study, 205 samples were taken from environmental surfaces in hospital. SARS-CoV-2 RNA detected by Real-time RT-PCR. 121 out of 205 (50.02%) samples were positive. The most contaminated objects were toilet sites (5/5,100% ICU; 5/5, 100% isolation wards). High surface contamination with SARS-CoV-2 proposes the surface as a potential route of transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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