The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by a novel virus of the β-coronavirus genus (SARS-CoV-2), has been spreading globally. As of July 2020, there have been more than 17 million cases worldwide. Determining multiple transmission routes of SARS-CoV-2 is critical to improving safety practices for the public and stemming the spread of SARS-CoV-2 effectively. This article mainly focuses on published studies on the transmission routes of SARS-CoV-2 including contact transmission, droplet transmission, aerosol transmission and fecal-oral transmission, as well as related research approaches, such as epidemiological investigations, environmental sampling in hospitals and laboratories and animal models. We also provide four specific recommendations for the prevention and control of SARS-CoV-2 that may help reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection under different environmental conditions. First, social distancing, rational use of face masks and respirators, eye protection, and hand disinfection for medical staff and the general public deserve further attention and promotion. Second, aerodynamic characteristics, such as size distribution, release regularity, aerosol diffusion, survival and decline, infectious dose and spread distance, still require further investigation in order to identify the transmissibility of COVID-19. Third, background monitoring of the distribution of pathogenic microorganisms and environmental disinfection in crowded public places, such as railway stations, schools, hospitals and other densely populated areas, can give early warning of outbreaks and curb the transmission routes of SARS-CoV-2 in those high-risk areas. Forth, establishing novel predictive models can help us to not only assess transmission and impacts in communities, but also better implement corresponding emergency response measures.
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October 2020
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Cover Image
Cover Image
Centrosomes are microtubule-organizing centres required for the asymmetric division of neural stem cells, which support neurodevelopment, as discussed in a mini-review by Robinson and colleagues (pages 2101–2115) In the cover image, microtubules are shown in yellow and neural stem cells (aPKC) are magenta. Image provided by Dorothy Lerit.
Review Article|
October 21 2020
Transmission and prevention of SARS-CoV-2
In Collection
Coronavirus
Zhongyi Wang;
Zhongyi Wang
*
1Laboratory of Cell Engineering, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, 20 Dongdajie Road, Beijing 100071, China
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Yingying Fu;
Yingying Fu
*
1Laboratory of Cell Engineering, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, 20 Dongdajie Road, Beijing 100071, China
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Zhendong Guo;
Zhendong Guo
*
2Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences, 666 Liuying West Road, Changchun, Jilin, China
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Jiaming Li;
Jiaming Li
1Laboratory of Cell Engineering, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, 20 Dongdajie Road, Beijing 100071, China
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Jingjing Li;
Jingjing Li
1Laboratory of Cell Engineering, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, 20 Dongdajie Road, Beijing 100071, China
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Hongliang Cheng;
Hongliang Cheng
1Laboratory of Cell Engineering, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, 20 Dongdajie Road, Beijing 100071, China
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Bing Lu;
1Laboratory of Cell Engineering, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, 20 Dongdajie Road, Beijing 100071, China
Correspondence: Bing Lu (13693506666@163.com) or Qiang Sun (sunq@bmi.ac.cn)
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Qiang Sun
1Laboratory of Cell Engineering, Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, 20 Dongdajie Road, Beijing 100071, China
Correspondence: Bing Lu (13693506666@163.com) or Qiang Sun (sunq@bmi.ac.cn)
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Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
August 31 2020
Revision Received:
September 21 2020
Accepted:
September 23 2020
Online ISSN: 1470-8752
Print ISSN: 0300-5127
© 2020 The Author(s). Published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society
2020
Biochem Soc Trans (2020) 48 (5): 2307–2316.
Article history
Received:
August 31 2020
Revision Received:
September 21 2020
Accepted:
September 23 2020
Citation
Zhongyi Wang, Yingying Fu, Zhendong Guo, Jiaming Li, Jingjing Li, Hongliang Cheng, Bing Lu, Qiang Sun; Transmission and prevention of SARS-CoV-2. Biochem Soc Trans 30 October 2020; 48 (5): 2307–2316. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/BST20200693
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