Airports are high-traffic areas where the risk of norovirus transmission is heightened due to the large number of public surfaces that passengers come into contact with. However, a new study by Nan Zhang and colleagues from the Beijing University of Technology has shed light on effective strategies to prevent the spread of norovirus in airports.
Published in the open-access journal PLOS Computational Biology on December 5, 2024, the study highlights the importance of frequent disinfection of surfaces, mask-wearing, and the use of antimicrobial coatings to reduce the risk of norovirus infections. Norovirus is a highly contagious gastrointestinal virus that causes severe symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea, leading to millions of cases and thousands of deaths annually.
The researchers collected real touch data from video recordings to analyze the risk of norovirus transmission from surfaces in different zones of the airport. They found that without any interventions, restaurants at airports posed the highest risk of norovirus transmission. However, disinfecting public surfaces every two hours reduced the risk of norovirus infection by an impressive 83.2%.
Other interventions such as handwashing every two hours and mask-wearing also showed some effectiveness in reducing the risk of norovirus transmission. Handwashing only reduced the risk by 2.0%, while mask-wearing for 50% of the time lowered the risk by 48.0% due to preventing people from touching their faces. Additionally, the use of antimicrobial copper or copper-nickel alloy coatings on public surfaces significantly decreased the infection risk by 15.9%-99.2%.
The study provides valuable insights for developing infection prevention and control strategies tailored specifically for norovirus in airport environments. The researchers acknowledge that the data was collected during the COVID-19 pandemic, which may have influenced surface touching behaviors. However, the simulated results indicate that regular surface disinfection, mask-wearing, and the use of antimicrobial surfaces are effective measures for controlling the spread of norovirus through surfaces.
In conclusion, the study emphasizes the importance of regular surface disinfection as a highly effective strategy for blocking norovirus transmission via fomite route in airports. By implementing these interventions, airports can significantly reduce the risk of norovirus infections among travelers. For more information, the study can be accessed in PLOS Computational Biology (DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1012561).
