Evidence from Whole Genome Sequencing of Aerosol Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 almost Five Hours after Hospital Room Turnover

Abstract Experimental evidence suggests that SARS-CoV-2 remains viable within aerosols with a half-life of approximately 1-3 hours, though changes in aerosol microenvironment may shorten viability to minutes. However, it remains unclear how long airborne SARS-CoV-2 can transmit infection. Whole genome sequencing of nasopharyngeal samples obtained from patients on an outbreak unit suggested in-room transmission of the delta variant, AY3 lineage, of SARS-CoV-2 to two patients admitted 1 hour, 43 minutes and 4 hours, 45 minutes after discharge of an asymptomatic infected patient. These findings suggest that airborne SARS-CoV-2 may transmit infection for nearly 5 hours, even in a hospital setting.