Abstract:
In the last two years, the world has been overwhelmed by SARS-CoV-2. One of the most important ways to prevent the spread of the virus is the control of indoor conditions: from surface hygiene to ventilation. Regarding the indoor environments, monitoring the presence of the virus in the indoor air seems to be promising, since there is strong evidence that airborne transmission through infected droplets and aerosols is its dominant transmission route. So far, few studies report the successful detection of SARS-CoV-2 in the air; moreover, the lack of a standard guideline for air monitoring reduces the uniformity of the results and their usefulness in the management of the risk of virus transmission. In this work, starting from a critical analysis of the existing standards and guidelines for indoor air quality, we define a strategy to set-up indoor air sampling plans for the detection of SARS-CoV-2. The strategy is then tested through a case study conducted in two kindergartens in the metropolitan city of Milan, in Italy, involving a total of 290 children and 47 teachers from 19 classrooms. The results proved its completeness, effectiveness, and suitability as a key tool in the airborne SARS-CoV-2 infection risk management process. Future research directions are then identified and discussed.
摘要:
在过去的两年里,世界已经被SARS-CoV-2淹没了。防止病毒传播的最重要方法之一是控制室内条件:从表面卫生到通风。关于室内环境,监测室内空气中病毒的存在似乎是有希望的,因为有强有力的证据表明,通过受感染的液滴和气溶胶的空气传播是其主要的传播途径。到目前为止,很少有研究报告成功检测到空气中的SARS-CoV-2;此外,缺乏空气监测的标准指南降低了结果的一致性及其在病毒传播风险管理中的有用性。在这项工作中,从对室内空气质量现有标准和准则的批判性分析开始,我们定义了一种策略来建立室内空气采样计划,以检测SARS-CoV-2。然后通过在大都市米兰的两所幼儿园进行的案例研究来测试该策略,在意大利,共涉及来自19个教室的290名儿童和47名教师。结果证明了它的完整性,有效性,和适宜性作为空气传播SARS-CoV-2感染风险管理过程中的关键工具。然后确定并讨论了未来的研究方向。