Network-based virus dynamic simulation: Evaluating the fomite disinfection effectiveness on SARS-CoV-2 transmission in indoor environment.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is involved in aerosol particles and droplets excreted from a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patient. Such aerosol particles or droplets including infectious virions can be attached on fomite, so fomite is not a negligible route for SARS-CoV-2 transmission within a community, especially in indoor environment. This necessarily evokes a need of fomite disinfection to remove virions, but the extent to which fomite disinfection breaks off virus transmission chain in indoor environment is still elusive.

Quantitative evaluation of water, sanitation, and hygiene measures on COVID-19 pandemic peak reduction in the Philippines.

New cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are continually being recorded worldwide, despite global efforts in implementing non-pharmaceutical interventions and establishing vaccination programs. This trend highlights the need to identify the factors associated with the continued spread of COVID-19. The World Health Organization recommends hand washing as a cost-effective intervention for preventing COVID-19, indicating that water, sanitation, and hygiene (WaSH) are central to the prevention of the disease.

Decay rate estimation of respiratory viruses in aerosols and on surfaces under different environmental conditions.

Majority of the viral outbreaks are super-spreading events established within 2-10 h, dependent on a critical time interval for successful transmission between humans, which is governed by the decay rates of viruses. To evaluate the decay rates of respiratory viruses over a short span, we calculated their decay rate values for various surfaces and aerosols. We applied Bayesian regression and ridge regression and determined the best estimation for respiratory viruses, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), influenza viruses, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV); the decay rate values in aerosols for these viruses were 4.

Concentrations of trace metals in Siganus javus captured in Negombo estuary, Sri Lanka: Human health risk assessment through dietary exposure.

Concentrations of aluminium, cadmium, chromium, lead, nickel and zinc in muscle and liver of a marine fish in Indo-Pacific region, Siganus javus captured in Negombo estuary were evaluated and potential human health risks associated with dietary exposure were assessed. Of the six metals analyzed, zinc was the most abundant metal in both tissues. No significant differences were found between muscle and liver with respect to cadmium and lead concentrations whereas concentrations of other metals were higher in liver compared to muscle.

COVID-19 case prediction via wastewater surveillance in a low-prevalence urban community: a modeling approach.

Estimating and predicting the epidemic size from wastewater surveillance results remains challenging for the practical implementation of wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE). In this study, by employing a highly sensitive detection method, we documented the time series of SARS-CoV-2 RNA occurrence in the wastewater influent from an urban community with a 360,000 population in Japan, from August 2020 to February 2021. The detection frequency of the viral RNA increased during the outbreak events of COVID-19 and the highest viral RNA concentration was recorded at the beginning of January 2021, amid the most serious outbreak event during the study period.