Stability of SARS-CoV-2 on Commercial Aircraft Interior Surfaces with Implications for Effective Control Measures

Kenrie P. Y. Hui, Alex W. H. Chin, John Ehret, Ka-Chun Ng, Malik Peiris, Leo L. M. Poon, Karen H. M. Wong, Michael C. W. Chan, Ian Hosegood and John M. Nicholls ()
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Kenrie P. Y. Hui: School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam HKG, Hong Kong SAR, China
Alex W. H. Chin: School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam HKG, Hong Kong SAR, China
John Ehret: Qantas Airways Ltd., Qantas 10 Bourke Rd Mascot, Sydney, NSW 2020, Australia
Ka-Chun Ng: School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam HKG, Hong Kong SAR, China
Malik Peiris: School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam HKG, Hong Kong SAR, China
Leo L. M. Poon: School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam HKG, Hong Kong SAR, China
Karen H. M. Wong: Electron Microscopy Unit, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam HKG, Hong Kong SAR, China
Michael C. W. Chan: School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam HKG, Hong Kong SAR, China
Ian Hosegood: Qantas Airways Ltd., Qantas 10 Bourke Rd Mascot, Sydney, NSW 2020, Australia
John M. Nicholls: Department of Pathology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Pok Fu Lam HKG, Hong Kong SAR, China

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

Abstract: Background: The COVID-19 pandemic from 2019 to 2022 devastated many aspects of life and the economy, with the commercial aviation industry being no exception. One of the major concerns during the pandemic was the degree to which the internal aircraft environment contributed to virus transmission between humans and, in particular, the stability of SARS-CoV-2 on contact surfaces in the aircraft cabin interior. Method: In this study, the stability of various major strains of SARS-CoV-2 on interior aircraft surfaces was evaluated using the TCID 50 assessment. Results: In contrast to terrestrial materials, SARS-CoV-2 was naturally less stable on common contact points in the aircraft interior, and, over a 4 h time period, there was a 90% reduction in culturable virus. Antiviral and surface coatings were extremely effective at mitigating the persistence of the virus on surfaces; however, their benefit was diminished by regular cleaning and were ineffective after 56 days of regular use and cleaning. Finally, successive strains of SARS-CoV-2 have not evolved to be more resilient to survival on aircraft surfaces. Conclusions: We conclude that the mitigation strategies for SARS-CoV-2 on interior aircraft surfaces are more than sufficient, and epidemiological evidence over the past three years has not found that surface spread is a major route of transmission.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; transmission; fomite (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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