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Comparison of the Performance of Personal Biological Aerosol Samplers for SARS-CoV-2
SHANNA RATNESAR-SHUMATE, Gregory Williams, Brian Holland, Jordan Bohannon, Melissa Krause, Brian Green, Denise Freeburger, Paul Dabisch, DHS NBACC
Abstract Number: 388
Working Group: The Role of Aerosol Science in the Understanding of the Spread and Control of COVID-19 and Other Infectious Diseases
Abstract
To understand and mitigate the potential risk of person-to-person aerosol transmission of SARS-CoV-2, characterization of the viral load near or around infected individuals is critical. Multiple types of aerosol sampling devices have been employed in recent studies to measure the amount of virus present around infected humans and animals and in exhaled breath. Aerosol sampling devices employ multiple capture mechanisms such as impingement, filtration or impaction of bioaerosols into or onto a substrate for subsequent assay and quantification. Depending on the biological organism being studied, the type of device used for sampling may cause inactivation and thus prevent detection of infectious aerosol. In this study, the biological sampling efficiencies of the SKC Biosampler, AGI-4, Midget Impinger, Sioutas Impactor, NIOSH BC251 sampler, gelatin and Teflon filters were evaluated and assayed to measure relative concentrations of infectious virus and RNA copies per liter of air. Results demonstrating that RNA copies per liter of air do not consistently correlate with infectious viral titers under different environmental conditions will be presented along with general recommendations for interpreting current data on the SARS-CoV-2 viral loads in air samples and guidance for future studies.
This work was supported by the DHS Science and Technology Directorate (under agreement number HSHQDC-15-C-00064) awarded to Battelle National Biodefense Institute for the management and operation of the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center, a Federally Funded Research and Development Center.