Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Contamination of High-touch Surfaces in Field Settings

Abstract

The World Health Organization declared Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC)[1]. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiological agent of COVID-19, is an enveloped, single-stranded, positive-sense RNA coronavirus. Like severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), the causative agent of COVID-19 belongs to the β-genus of the coronavirus family and has a genome sequence with an 82% similarity to that of SARS[1,2]. Therefore, research on human coronaviruses, especially SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, could be useful for predicting likely environmental fate and subsequent risks of SARS-CoV-2[1]. Transmission from person to person, primarily via respiratory droplets containing viable virus particles, plays an important role in the dissemination of SARS- CoV-1 and MERS-CoV infections[3,4]. However, evidence shows that the viruses are also transmitted through contact with contaminated surfaces and fomites[4]