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A new study reveals that regularly disinfecting public surfaces in airports can significantly reduce the risk of norovirus infection, potentially lowering the infection rate by 83%. The research, conducted by Nan Zhang and colleagues from Beijing University of Technology, was published on December 5, 2024, in PLOS Computational Biology. It highlights the effectiveness of targeted interventions such as surface cleaning, mask-wearing, and antimicrobial coatings in preventing the spread of this highly contagious gastrointestinal virus, particularly in airport environments.
Norovirus, which causes severe vomiting and diarrhea, is responsible for approximately 685 million cases and 200,000 deaths annually worldwide. The virus is primarily transmitted through contaminated surfaces, and airports, with their high volume of public touchpoints, are hotspots for outbreaks. The study aimed to assess the risk of infection from surfaces in different airport zones and evaluate the effectiveness of various preventive measures.
The researchers gathered real-time touch data from over 21 hours of video footage, capturing nearly 26,000 individual touches by travelers across various airport areas. They developed a transmission model to simulate the risk of norovirus infection and test the impact of several interventions.
Without any interventions, the study found that restaurants in airports posed the highest risk for norovirus transmission, with nearly 4.6 out of every 51,494 travelers potentially becoming infected. However, disinfecting high-touch surfaces every two hours led to an impressive 83.2% reduction in infection risk.
Handwashing, while still beneficial, proved far less effective, reducing the risk by only 2%. Mask-wearing, especially if worn 50% of the time, also contributed significantly, cutting the risk by 48%. Masks prevent people from touching their faces, which helps lower transmission. Additionally, using antimicrobial copper or copper-nickel alloy coatings on most public surfaces resulted in a reduction in infection risk ranging from 15.9% to as much as 99.2%.
These findings underscore the importance of regular cleaning and other preventative measures in reducing the spread of norovirus in high-traffic areas like airports. The study also points out that surface cleaning is far more effective than regular handwashing for controlling infections in these environments.
The researchers acknowledge that their data was collected during the COVID-19 pandemic, a period when public behavior around surface touching may have been different. Nevertheless, the results are a significant step toward developing more effective infection prevention strategies for controlling norovirus outbreaks in airports.
In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights into how regular disinfection, mask-wearing, and antimicrobial surfaces can dramatically reduce the transmission of norovirus in public places, particularly in airports, where the risk of infection is heightened due to the large number of shared surfaces.
For more information, the study can be accessed in PLOS Computational Biology, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1012561.
