A team led by researchers from Bonn, Ricarda Maria Schmithausen and Hendrik Streeck, investigated where in the household the new types of corona viruses can be found when someone is infected with Sars-CoV-2.
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So far, it is assumed that Sars-CoV-2 is primarily transmitted by droplet infection and aerosols. Contaminated surfaces play little or no role according to current knowledge. “So far, no Sars-CoV-2 transmission via food, drinking water or surfaces has been detected,” writes the Bonn team. However, it has been shown that the virus can last for hours or even days on surfaces or in the air.
Air, waste water, surfaces
Streeck, Schmithausen and their colleagues took samples from 21 households in the community of Gangelt in the district of Heinsberg (North Rhine-Westphalia) that were quarantined because at least one resident was infected. They examined
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Indoor air,
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Waste water from sink and shower drains and toilets,
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various surfaces that could be used for distribution, such as door handles, remote controls and furniture.
Using a PCR test, they looked for virus genomes in the samples. This was most frequently found in the waste water from sinks and showers, namely in almost 20 percent each. Virus genetic material was also detectable in the wastewater from toilets in almost ten percent of the samples. This was rarely the case on surfaces, namely only around three percent. All indoor air samples gave a negative result.
The researchers also tried to grow viruses from the samples. This can confirm that there are indeed infectious viruses. In no case did this succeed – but unfortunately this does not mean that the all-clear is clear. Because it may be that there were infectious viruses, but their breeding in the laboratory failed for other reasons.
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And what follows from that?
It is already known that the virus concentration in the throat and hands can be high, the team writes. It is not surprising that they were able to detect the virus genome comparatively often in the sink wastewater because the pathogens could get there after brushing their teeth and washing their hands. In addition, virus genome has already been detected in stool and urine – and accordingly in the wastewater from toilets. Other researchers had previously suggested that wastewater samples could be used to estimate where the coronavirus is common.
What does this mean for your own household? The risk of catching a door handle or armchair with Sars-CoV-2 is probably low. Contamination via wastewater seems theoretically possible. The researchers therefore recommend hygiene measures that are already recommended: wash your hands after contact with waste water and close the toilet lid when you flush the toilet.
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