SARS-CoV-2 Survival on Surfaces. Measurements Optimisation for an Enthalpy-Based Assessment of the Risk

Angelo Spena, Leonardo Palombi, Mariachiara Carestia, Vincenzo Andrea Spena and Francesco Biso ()
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Angelo Spena: Department of Enterprise Engineering, Tor Vergata University of Rome, 00133 Rome, Italy
Leonardo Palombi: Catholic University of “Our Lady of Good Counsel”, 1001 Tirana, Albania
Mariachiara Carestia: Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University of Rome, 00133 Rome, Italy
Vincenzo Andrea Spena: Department of Astronautical, Electrical and Energy Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, 00184 Rome, Italy
Francesco Biso: Department of Enterprise Engineering, Tor Vergata University of Rome, 00133 Rome, Italy

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 12, 1-16

Abstract: The present work, based on the results found in the literature, yields a consistent model of SARS-CoV-2 survival on surfaces as environmental conditions, such as temperature and relative humidity, change simultaneously. The Enthalpy method, which has recently been successfully proposed to investigate the viability of airborne viruses using a holistic approach, is found to allow us to take a reasoned reading of the data available on surfaces in the literature. This leads us to identify the domain of conditions of lowest SARS-CoV-2 viability, in a specific enthalpy range between 50 and 60 kJ/Kg dry-air . This range appears well-superimposed with the results we previously obtained from analyses of coronaviruses’ behaviour in aerosols, and may be helpful in dealing with the spread of infections. To steer future investigations, shortcomings and weaknesses emerging from the assessment of viral measurement usually carried out on surfaces are also discussed in detail. Once demonstrated that current laboratory procedures suffer from both high variability and poor standardisation, targeted implementations of standards and improvement of protocols for future investigations are then proposed.

Keywords: viruses survival; SARS-CoV-2; virus stability on surfaces; measurements improvement; specific enthalpy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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