Analysts of air samples from two Wuhan hospitals identified SAR-CoV-2 RNA in submicrometer aerosol samples. In our efforts to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2, a critical question to answer is how the virus is transmitted. If it acts like the SARS coronavirus, the MERS coronavirus, and other respiratory viruses, SARS-CoV-2 would spread primarily through large droplets and environmental contamination. However, several studies suggest transmission by the aerosol route (NEJM JW Infect Dis May 2020 and N Engl J Med 2020; 382:1564; NEJM JW Infect Dis Jun 2020 and Nat Med 2020 Apr 2; [e-pub], and Ann Intern Med 2020 Apr 6; [e-pub]). Investigators from Wuhan, China, now report the results of air sampling in and around two hospitals designated for COVID-19 patients.
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