Frequency, kinetics and determinants of viable SARS-CoV-2 in bioaerosols from ambulatory COVID-19 patients infected with the Beta, Delta or Omicron variants

S. Jaumdally, M. Tomasicchio, A. Pooran, A. Esmail, A. Kotze, S. Meier, L. Wilson, S. Oelofse, C. Merwe, A. Roomaney, M. Davids, T. Suliman, R. Joseph, T. Perumal, A. Scott, M. Shaw, W. Preiser, C. Williamson, A. Goga, E. Mayne, G. Gray, P. Moore, A. Sigal, J. Limberis, J. Metcalfe and K. Dheda ()
Additional contact information
S. Jaumdally: Centre for Lung Infection and Immunity, University of Cape Town Lung Institute
M. Tomasicchio: Centre for Lung Infection and Immunity, University of Cape Town Lung Institute
A. Pooran: Centre for Lung Infection and Immunity, University of Cape Town Lung Institute
A. Esmail: Centre for Lung Infection and Immunity, University of Cape Town Lung Institute
A. Kotze: Centre for Lung Infection and Immunity, University of Cape Town Lung Institute
S. Meier: Centre for Lung Infection and Immunity, University of Cape Town Lung Institute
L. Wilson: Centre for Lung Infection and Immunity, University of Cape Town Lung Institute
S. Oelofse: Centre for Lung Infection and Immunity, University of Cape Town Lung Institute
C. Merwe: Centre for Lung Infection and Immunity, University of Cape Town Lung Institute
A. Roomaney: Centre for Lung Infection and Immunity, University of Cape Town Lung Institute
M. Davids: Centre for Lung Infection and Immunity, University of Cape Town Lung Institute
T. Suliman: University of the Western Cape
R. Joseph: Wellcome Centre for Infectious Diseases in Africa, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town
T. Perumal: Centre for Lung Infection and Immunity, University of Cape Town Lung Institute
A. Scott: Centre for Lung Infection and Immunity, University of Cape Town Lung Institute
M. Shaw: University of the Western Cape
W. Preiser: University of Stellenbosch Tygerberg Campus; Medical Virology, National Health Laboratory Service Tygerberg, Parow
C. Williamson: Wellcome Centre for Infectious Diseases in Africa, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town
A. Goga: South African Medical Research Council
E. Mayne: Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand
G. Gray: South African Medical Research Council
P. Moore: Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA)
A. Sigal: Africa Health Research Institute
J. Limberis: Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Centre, University of California, San Francisco
J. Metcalfe: Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Centre, University of California, San Francisco
K. Dheda: Centre for Lung Infection and Immunity, University of Cape Town Lung Institute

Nature Communications, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Abstract Airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 aerosol remains contentious. Importantly, whether cough or breath-generated bioaerosols can harbor viable and replicating virus remains largely unclarified. We performed size-fractionated aerosol sampling (Andersen cascade impactor) and evaluated viral culturability in human cell lines (infectiousness), viral genetics, and host immunity in ambulatory participants with COVID-19. Sixty-one percent (27/44) and 50% (22/44) of participants emitted variant-specific culture-positive aerosols 95%). There is considerable heterogeneity in potential infectiousness i.e., only 29% of participants were probably highly infectious (produced culture-positive aerosols

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45400-1

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