SARS-CoV-2 Aerosol Transmission Through Vertical Sanitary Drains in High-Rise Buildings - Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China, March 2022.
Keyang Lyu(Chinese Center For Disease Control and Prevention), Siyang Feng(Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention), Xia Li(Chinese Center For Disease Control and Prevention), Qin Wang(Chinese Center For Disease Control and Prevention), Xiaoning Zhao(Jiangsu Institute of Metrology), Shuyuan Yu(Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention), Ping Zheng(Chinese Center For Disease Control and Prevention), Jiajia Ji(Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention), Guomin Chen(Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention), Jing Liang(Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention), Tao Lan(Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention), Jinshu Feng(Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention), Shuai Jiang(Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention), Jianhua Lu(Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention), Tian‐Long Xia(Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention), Chaoqiong Peng(Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention), Tiejian Feng(Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention), Dongqun Xu(Chinese Center For Disease Control and Prevention)
What is already known about this topic?: Aerosol transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) via sanitary pipelines in high-rise buildings is possible, however, there is a lack of experimental evidence. What is added by this report?: The field simulation experiment confirmed the existence of a vertical aerosol transmission pathway from toilet flush-soil stack-floor drains without water seal. This report provided experimental evidence for vertical aerosol transmission of clustered outbreaks on 18 floors of a 33-story residential building. What are the implications for public health practice?: The water seal on floor drains is a necessary barrier to prevent the risk of vertical aerosol transmission of infectious disease pathogens in buildings. It is necessary not only to have a U-shaped trap in the drainage pipe, but also to be filled with water regularly.