Correlation assessment between SARS-CoV-2 virus and interior air quality parameters to implement mitigation strategies.
COV2AIR, which started 1/11/2020 and ended 3/7/2021, was born from SGS as a challenge from Positive Benefits regarding the various emerging challenges relating to the detection of SARS-CoV-2 infection. This gave rise to the opportunity to prepare an application for the Incentive System for Research and Development Activities and for Testing and Optimization Infrastructures (Upscaling) in the Context of Covid-19.
The application was framed through the promoter SGS, and the partners Positive Benefits, Hospital de Cascais and Science Faculty of the Lisbon University. The objective, was to respond to various challenges present in the various techniques for correlation assessment between SARS-CoV-2 virus and interior air quality parameters to implement mitigation strategies aims to develop a methodology for sampling SARS-CoV-2 in bioaerosols, which will study different sampling techniques and different analysis methods, to thus, contribute scientifically to the elaboration of a standard that allows all studies on air transmission to use the same methodology, previously validated.
Project Summary
CONTEXT OF THE RESEARCH
Sampling viruses in bioaerosols is complex and there is not a standard methodology developed yet, so the consortium propouse was to carry out a comparative study with seven different sampling technologies, in order to contribute to the decision of choosing
the most assertive technique suitable for sampling SARS-CoV-2 in the air.
Source: Figure 1 - Methodology for Addressing Infectious Aerosol Persistence in Real-Time Using Sensor Network
The bibliography states that virus concentrations in bioaerosols are typically low, so even if sampling has been carried out successfully, its analysis can be negative due to the detection limit of the analysis method. In order to mitigate this fact and contribute to the validation of other scientific studies already carried out, the COV2AIR project will carry out analyzes for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 using the ddPCR - Digital Droplet PCR technology.
Recent studies have compared this technology to qPCR and concluded that ddPCR tested positive on clinical samples that were negative with qPCR. These studies may be important to prove and validate the detection limits of ddPCR and to prove whether this technique is more secure in order to avoid false negatives. All samples collected under this project will be carried out in duplicate with analyzes by ddPCR and qPCR, thus elaborating a comparative study that can contribute to scientific knowledge about the advantages and disadvantages of each one.
PARTNERS AND SPONSORS
A consortium made up of specialized partners with the promotion of multidisciplinary research and development projects with impact innovation activities within the scope of the fight against COVID19.
Cofinanced by
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