Understanding environmental and airborne routes of transmission

Understanding how the causatative agent of COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 is spread from person-to-person is essential for outbreak control. Little is known about the environmental stability of SARS-CoV-2 and establishing if/how the environment affects the survival and/or transmissibility (spread) of the virus is an immedate research priority (as identifed by the WHO Global Research and Innovation Forum). This study will determine how long SARS-CoV-2 will survive in the air and on different types of surfaces (e.g. those found in the healthcare, domestic and community setting). Methods to effectively decontaminate these surfaces will also be investigated. Techniques will also be developed in order to develop validated sampling methods for the agent in healthcare facilities. Experiments will be carried out using specialist facilities and equipment at Public Health England and will be conducted under controlled environmental conditions (e.g. at a range of temperatures and humidities) representative of those found in different countries and/or settings. This study is essential if the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is to be fully understood. The results obtained will clarify how environmental factors can impact the spread of the virus and will inform effective (and evidence-based) strategies and guidance for preventing and controlling infection in healthcare and non-healthcare settings worldwide.

This COVID-19 Rapid Response award is jointly funded (50:50) between the Medical Research Council and the National Institute for Health Research. The figure displayed is the total award amount of the two funders combined, with each partner contributing equally towards the project.

This project is intended to provide the evidence base for environmental infection control to help control transmission in the healthcare and other environments. The following questions will be addressed Does SARS-CoV-2 survive in the aerosol state in a range of environmental conditions and for how long? Can SARS-CoV-2 survive on a range of environmental surfaces found in healthcare facilities and domestic premises and for how long? Are commonly used room decontamination systems effective at inactivating SARS-CoV-2? Are commonly used air sampling techniques capable of effectively sampling SARS-CoV-2 for subsequent analysis by PCR and plaque assay? All these questions will be addressed using fully developed published methodologies currently available at PHE Porton Down allowing the questions to be answered rapidly. The results of the studies will inform infection control practices and other linked studies carried out within healthcare facilities within the UK and internationally.