Indoor air surveillance and factors associated with respiratory pathogen detection in community settings in Belgium

Joren Raymenants (), Caspar Geenen, Lore Budts, Jonathan Thibaut, Marijn Thijssen, Hannelore Mulder, Sarah Gorissen, Bastiaan Craessaerts, Lies Laenen, Kurt Beuselinck, Sien Ombelet, Els Keyaerts and Emmanuel André
Additional contact information
Joren Raymenants: KU Leuven
Caspar Geenen: KU Leuven
Lore Budts: University Hospitals Leuven
Jonathan Thibaut: KU Leuven
Marijn Thijssen: KU Leuven
Hannelore Mulder: KU Leuven
Sarah Gorissen: KU Leuven
Bastiaan Craessaerts: University Hospitals Leuven
Lies Laenen: KU Leuven
Kurt Beuselinck: University Hospitals Leuven
Sien Ombelet: University Hospitals Leuven
Els Keyaerts: University Hospitals Leuven
Emmanuel André: KU Leuven

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract Currently, the real-life impact of indoor climate, human behaviour, ventilation and air filtration on respiratory pathogen detection and concentration are poorly understood. This hinders the interpretability of bioaerosol quantification in indoor air to surveil respiratory pathogens and transmission risk. We tested 341 indoor air samples from 21 community settings in Belgium for 29 respiratory pathogens using qPCR. On average, 3.9 pathogens were positive per sample and 85.3% of samples tested positive for at least one. Pathogen detection and concentration varied significantly by pathogen, month, and age group in generalised linear (mixed) models and generalised estimating equations. High CO2 and low natural ventilation were independent risk factors for detection. The odds ratio for detection was 1.09 (95% CI 1.03–1.15) per 100 parts per million (ppm) increase in CO2, and 0.88 (95% CI 0.80–0.97) per stepwise increase in natural ventilation (on a Likert scale). CO2 concentration and portable air filtration were independently associated with pathogen concentration. Each 100ppm increase in CO2 was associated with a qPCR Ct value decrease of 0.08 (95% CI −0.12 to −0.04), and portable air filtration with a 0.58 (95% CI 0.25–0.91) increase. The effects of occupancy, sampling duration, mask wearing, vocalisation, temperature, humidity and mechanical ventilation were not significant. Our results support the importance of ventilation and air filtration to reduce transmission.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36986-z

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