Toilets dominate environmental detection of SARS-CoV-2 virus in a hospital

Zhen Ding; Hua Qian; Bin Xu; Ying Huang; Te Miao; Hui-Ling Yen; Shenglan Xiao; Lunbiao Cui; Xiaosong Wu; Wei Shao; Yan Song; Li Sha; Lian Zhou; Yan Xu; Baoli Zhu; Yuguo Li

The sites for the air and surface samples are shown in Figure 1 . All samples were collected by a trained CDC officer who had a medical background, assisted by two trained nurses from the hospital. The CDC officer wore full personal protective equipment (PPE), namely an N95 respirator, goggles, face shield, gloves, shoe covers, cap, and gown. He was quarantined for 12 days after the collection on 8 February, disinfected, and resumed sampling on 20 and 22 February. Thereafter he was quarantined again for another 14 days, and again disinfected. Figure 1 . Summary of the sites where the air and surface samples were taken in the hospital. (A) In the air-conditioning systems of the isolation rooms and on the building roof. The highlighted area in red is the airborne infectious disease zone on the 5 th floor; (B) at the nursing station, storage/cleaner's rooms, healthcare workers' PPE changing room, and corridor; and (C) in the isolation rooms, but note that in some of the rooms, fewer surface and air samples were taken than are shown here. The positive samples are shown by either empty circle in red or filled circle in red. The negative samples are shown by either empty circle in blue or filled circle in blue. In Figure 1B , the four sampled rooms are highlighted in light red, i.e. isolation rooms containing beds 2 and 3, beds 16-18, beds 31 and 32, and bed 55.