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[Annals of Internal Medicine] Probable Evidence of Fecal Aerosol Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in a High-Rise Building

Annals of Internal Medicine, 1 September 2020

Min Kang, Jianjian Wei, Jun Yuan, Juxuan Guo, Yingtao Zhang, Jian Hang, Yabin Qu, Hua Qian, Yali Zhuang, Xuguang Chen, Xin Peng, Tongxing Shi, Jun Wang, Jie Wu, Tie Song, Jianfeng He, Yuguo Li, and Nanshan Zhong
Highlights:
  • Investigate the temporal and spatial distributions of 3 infected families in a high-rise apartment building and examine the associated environment variables to verify the role of fecal aerosols
  • 9 infected patients in 3 families were identified. No evidence was found for transmission via the elevator or elsewhere. The families lived in 3 vertically aligned flats connected by drainage pipes in the master bathrooms.
  • Both the observed infections and the locations of positive environmental samples are consistent with the vertical spread of virus-laden aerosols via these stacks and vents.
  • Fecal aerosol transmission may have caused the community outbreak of COVID-19 in this high-rise building.
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