Revisiting SARS-CoV-2 environmental contamination by COVID-19 patients: The Omicron variant does not differ from previous strains
Herein, we sampled high-contact surfaces and air in close proximity to patients verified as infected with Omicron strain, original or Alpha strains. Cumulatively, for all three strains, viral-RNA was detected in 90/168 surfaces and 6/49 air-samples. No infective virus was identified. No significant differences in prevalence were found between strains. This preliminary work suggests that Omicron’s increased transmissibility doesn't result from acquiring airborne infectivity, higher environmental contamination or better resilience on surfaces.