The Mould Show

New research from the US military shows that the SARS-CoV-2 virus can remain stable on the skin for 14-days. The higher the temperature, the lower the recovery. Therefore, the colder the environment, the longer the coronavirus persists on surfaces like skin, banknotes and even clothing. In this weeks Livestream I’m covering the role of ‘Sentinel monitoring’. This aims to test out selected high touch surfaces in an effort to detect the presymptomatic (before they show symptoms) and the asymptomatic (people who never show symptoms). New breaking research shows that swabbing the environment can detect those environments that are 10-times more likely to show a positive coronavirus case during clinical testing. The conclusion from the research is that environmental screening can help identify workplaces that are likely to hide spreaders! Surface testing in the environment should be used alongside clinical testing of people.

Of course, reach out to us if you need surface swab testing at your workplace. Fast and efficient onsite service.  

REFERENCES:

Sentinel Coronavirus Environmental Monitoring Can Contribute to Detecting Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Virus Spreaders and Can Verify Effectiveness of Workplace COVID-19 Controls
Douglas Marshall, Frederic Bois, Soren K.S. Jensen, Svend A. Linde, Richard Higby, Yvoine Remy-McCort, Sean Murray, Bryan Dieckelman, Fitri Sudradjat
medRxiv 2020.06.24.20131185; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.06.24.20131185


Modeling the Stability of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on Skin, Currency, and Clothing
David Harbourt, Andrew Haddow, Ashley Piper, Holly Bloomfield, Brian Kearney, Kathleen Gibson, Tim Minogue
medRxiv 2020.07.01.20144253; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.07.01.20144253

As Australia re-opens, some States like Victoria are experiencing a resurgence in case numbers.  Was it the protests, is it the returning travellers, is it the asymptomatic spread, is it the super-spreaders?  All valid questions, without clear answers...but what's your business to do IF you WANT and NEED to re-open but you want to do this SAFELY?

In today's livestream I want to speak about the important role of surface contamination.  We all know that hand sanitiser and regular hand washing is globally promoted as a mandatory step - but have you stopped to think about all the reasons why?  Obviously touching other people with a handshake is easily understood as a risky behaviour - but what about all the other things you touch without thinking much about it.  Your phone, the steering wheel, the hand rail on that chair, the ATM machine, the shopping trolley and on and on.  It's these high-touch surfaces that can act as reservoirs for the coronavirus.  Those people actually infected with the virus also shed it into their local environment and it's spread on air currents and on particles of air pollution.  These land on surfaces and can act as fomites for further hand to person contact transmission.  In this way the virus can be spread.  Now, there's lots of research that discusses the replication competence on different surfaces and how rough or smooth an object is all has a role to play.  But, just assume as a takeaway Key Fact that the coronavirus can remain replication competent for up to 7 days on surfaces depending on where they are and what they're made from.

In today's livestream, we go into a shopping centre in Melbourne and demonstrate how we can test commonly used (and touched) surfaces to look for the SARS-CoV-2 virus.  We're looking for the RNA using qPCR molecular screening.

In the video we show you live what we found!!!  It's amazing (and shocking): 1 in 5 of the tested surfaces FAILED.  That's like 20%.  The literature predicted a FAIL rate of juts under 17%.  If the limited range of surfaces we tested FAILED - imagine what your building is hiding?

I also review the Key Results for a Survey of the Australian public that showed how they feel about the issue of surface contamination and PCR swab testing.  The results show that unequivocally, the Australian Public want surface testing in the workplace.

We are offering qPCR swab testing to businesses across Victoria.  We come to you, suit up into PPE and will test your building.  If you PASS - great news.  If there are any FAILS, then you can take appropriate action. 

The AIM of swab testing is to provide evidence that your cleaning protocols are actually disinfecting the areas as anticipated.  Cleaning g validation in this way over time builds up a picture of how effectively the business or facility is maintaining hygiene standards regarding the coronavirus. The entire point of qPCR testing is to inspire confidence during the re-opening.

Where to obtain an onsite coronavirus surface swab test: 
https://www.biologicalhealthservices.com.au/

JONES, C.L. (2020). COVID-Safe Awareness and Implications for Environmental Surface Testing in Australia. International Journal for Research in Applied Science and Engineering Technology (IJRASET), Volume 8, Issue V, Page No: 1234-1245, ISSN : 2321-9653, http://doi.org/10.22214/ijraset.2020.5196

JONES, C.L. (2020). Environmental Surface Contamination with SARS-CoV-2 - A Short Review. Journal of Human Virology & Retrovirology. 8(1): 15-19. https://medcraveonline.com/JHVRV/JHVRV-08-00215.pdf

Have you ever wondered if some factors make asthma worse in older adults?  Find out what are the Top 7 reasons why asthma can be made worse indoors.  Once you know what they are, you can do something about limiting risk.  I also want to look at the relationship between the environment - and in particular temperature - and how this is linked to rates of hospital acquired bloodborne infections.  The results for bacteria and fungi will no doubt surprise you.  Also it's our 52nd show, so we've been doing these weekly LiveStreams for 1year.  Check out all the back episodes on YouTube @drcameronjones or listen to the podcasts on iTunes or your favourite streaming service or go to www.TheMouldShow.com 

TOP 7 Things Older People Should Be On The Lookout For To Reduce Their Levels Of Allergen Exposure:

1. Poor bathroom ventilation
2. No HEPA vacuum
3. Furry/feathered pets inside
4. Mould/moisture present
5. Dust
6. Pest/rodents
7. Cigarettes

Contrary to expectations: it was NOT warm and humid weather that had an impact on bloodstream infections it was warm and relatively dry weather which was associated.

REFERENCES:

Asthma among older people in Australia, Summary - Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2020). Retrieved 22 June 2020, from https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/chronic-respiratory-conditions/asthma-among-older-people-in-australia/contents/summary

Castner J, Barnett R, Moskos LH, Folz RJ, Polivka B. Home environment allergen exposure scale in older adult cohort with asthma [published online ahead of print, 2020 Jun 16]. Can J Public Health. 2020;10.17269/s41997-020-00335-0. doi:10.17269/s41997-020-00335-0

Schwab F, Gastmeier P, Hoffmann P, Meyer E. Summer, sun and sepsis-The influence of outside temperature on nosocomial bloodstream infections: A cohort study and review of the literature. PLoS One. 2020;15(6):e0234656. Published 2020 Jun 19. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0234656

Hannam, P. (2020). Media data shows COVID-19 has stolen climate change's thunder. Retrieved 22 June 2020, from https://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/media-data-shows-covid-19-has-stolen-climate-change-s-thunder-20200508-p54r6j.html

It could happen if there's been a lot of rain, a delay in  the building process, or if timber has sat out in the elements for too long before being covered?  Mould, mould and more mould...what do you do if you find this?  Well - this episode will cover this important topic.  Firstly: relax...it might not be as bad as you think!  Discuss the matter with your builder.  Discuss your health and safety concerns.  Discuss your asset value concerns and implications that mould might have for building integrity.  This episode will cover what we recommend.  Document, document, document is really our best advice.  When in doubt: test, test, test.  Remember the principal way to deal with mould is: SOURCE REMOVAL. 

With all the attention at the moment focussing on the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the rest of microbiology has taken somewhat of a backseat.  While the COVID pandemic has restricted behaviour and led to 6.4M cases and 383,000 deaths, the number of illnesses and deaths caused by fungi is also of epic proportions at 800M and 1.6M deaths annually.  With global warming a serious problem for humanity, I want this week to discuss some of the reasons that fungi are often neglected.  I want to shed some light on why this is, and what we should be discussing.  We'll look at forced evolution in the lab and why Temperature optima may well turn out to be the best predictor of the next fungal plague or infection illness.  Will it turn on us or our agriculture crops?  Thats the crux of food security - and mycotoxins and other direct infections do more than reduce our access to bananas!  I'll also make a short review of some of the fungal catastrophes to put this into context as well as discuss what we know about COVID and co-infections from Aspergillus fumigatus.

Topics:

1. Fungi are under-appreciated as a source of infection and co-infection. Viruses are now easily understood to be a source of infection between people and most people understand the concept of hospital acquired bacterial infections, but…

2. Fungi have significant genetic flexibility and rapid evolution

3. Global warming and fungal disease, invasive fungal infections after natural disasters

4. Plant and agricultural fungal threats much better understood - food security impacts potentially devastating

5. Short history of catastrophic events caused by fungi  

REFERENCES:

Casadevall A. Global Catastrophic Threats from the Fungal Kingdom. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol. 2019:21-32. doi:10.1007/82_2019_161

Case N, Heitman J, Cowen L. The Rise of Fungi: A Report on the CIFAR Program Fungal Kingdom: Threats & Opportunities Inaugural Meeting. G3:Genes|Genomes|Genetics. 2020;10(6):1837-1842. doi:10.1534/g3.120.401271

ALL ABOUT GAFFI: Fungal diseases are neglected worldwide by public health authorities. Gaffi.org. https://www.gaffi.org/. Published 2020. Accessed June 6, 2020.

Lovett R. Space station mold survives 200 times the radiation dose that would kill a human. Science | AAAS. https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/06/space-station-mold-survives-200-times-radiation-dose-would-kill-human#:~:text=Astronauts%20on%20the%20International%20Space,where%20radiation%20doses%20are%20low.&text=The%20gray%20is%20a%20measure%20of%20the%20amount%20of%20absorbed%20radiation%20energy. Published 2020. Accessed June 6, 2020.

Pomeroy R. Fungi That 'Eat' Radiation Are Growing on the Walls of Chernobyl's Ruined Nuclear Reactor | RealClearScience. Realclearscience.com. https://www.realclearscience.com/blog/2020/02/04/fungi_that_eat_radiation_are_growing_on_the_walls_of_chernobyls_ruined_nuclear_reactor.html. Published 2020. Accessed June 6, 2020.

Carbone C. Surprising find in Chernobyl reactor. NewsComAu. https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/evolution/melaninfilled-fungus-thriving-on-radiation-from-chernobyl-meltdown/news-story/15af9f34faa4b62dff46a1258dbfb235. Published 2020. Accessed June 6, 2020.

de Crecy E, Jaronski S, Lyons B, Lyons T, Keyhani N. Directed evolution of a filamentous fungus for thermotolerance. BMC Biotechnol. 2009;9(1):74. doi:10.1186/1472-6750-9-74

Leach MD, Cowen LE. Surviving the heat of the moment: a fungal pathogens perspective. PLoS Pathog. 2013;9(3):e1003163. doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1003163

Dale, J., James, A., Paul, J. et al. Transgenic Cavendish bananas with resistance to Fusarium wilt tropical race 4. Nat Commun 8, 1496 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-01670-6

The CDC changed their website and the twittersphere went into a panic, since there was a presumed change about surface contamination.  Find out how fomite transmission in a hospital proved the point about surface risks.  Also, we take a look at how sunlight can be used to decontaminate surfaces and what you need to know about alcohol based hand sanitiser.

Let me show you how you can quickly and inexpensively turn your mobile phone into as device that can 'see' in ultraviolet.  Being able to see in UV is useful if you want to double  check that your cleaners have done a good job.  Did you know that you can use a fluorescent highlighter to mark high touch items and then check with UV to see that it's been cleaned.  This is very useful and important especially as economies around the world tentatively re-open.  Effective disinfectant cleaning must begin with care and attention to areas or items in the built environment that have a high probability of having shed coronavirus on them.  All you need is some sticky tape, a blue and a purple Sharpie and a fluorescent marker.  Once you've made your 'UV lens' for the flash on your phone, go around your workplace and mark out some items you want to validate that your cleaners have cleaned.  Under UV light, these will fluoresce, but if cleaning has been successful, then the dye in the highlighter will have been removed and you can have greater confidence in the knowledge that the cleaners have done their job as expected.  Of course, if the items or areas fluoresce, then you can make some adjustments to your cleaning requirements and monitor further.  

REFERENCES:

Hong Kong's reopened gyms may show future of socially distanced workouts
https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/hong-kongs-gyms-future-socially-distanced-workouts

Jones, C.L. (2020). COVID-Safe Awareness and Implications for Environmental Surface Testing in Australia. International Journal for Research in Applied Science and Engineering Technology (IJRASET), Volume 8, Issue V, Page No: 1234-1245, ISSN : 2321-9653, http://doi.org/10.22214/ijraset.2020.5196

Australian businesses are soon to begin reopening. The threat from SARS-CoV-2 is not behind us even with lowered numbers of cases across the country. We still need to careful - and the role of deep disinfection cleaning is more important than ever. When you walk into someone's shop or business in the coming weeks and months, how do you know they are a COVID safe workplace? This week, I want to discuss how UV light can be used to validate cleaning efficiency. If you’ve ever wanted to check up on your cleaners - and make sure they’re doing a good job - this show will show you how! This is called environmental surveillance and is a common method for validating cleaning efficiency.

REFERENCES:

Melbourne McDonald's remains open despite being at the centre of a COVID-19 cluster. https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-affair/coronavirus-fawkner-mcdonalds-melbourne-remains-open-despite-covid19-cluster-worrying-experts/02524ff7-7532-4b46-baa7-0f1fd26ae9de

JONES, C.L. (2020). Environmental Surface Contamination with SARS-CoV-2 - A Short Review. Journal of Human Virology & Retrovirology. 8(1): 15-19. https://medcraveonline.com/JHVRV/JHVRV-08-00215.pdf

The way humans behave is central to the ways in which SARS-CoV-2 can be transmitted. Whether it’s a cough or a sneeze or touching something that’s then handled by someone else, we need to change behaviour (and quickly) to minimize transmission in the absence of pharmaceutical interventions. In Australia, as coronavirus restrictions are relaxed and businesses are being encouraged to prepare for reopening, the risks once again loom for fresh wave/s of infection. So, what does COVID-safe awareness look like? Overarchingly, it’s using scientifically and medically valid information to make choices that minimize harm and in the first place, accessing this information and using it for self-education and then applying it for your own and others' benefit.

This week, I want to focus some attention on 2 interesting papers. Both of them are about non-fever warning signs that the exposed and then infected individual may go on to develop into COVID-19. Think of today’s Livestream as a symptom-checker that relies on 2 recently published papers that I’ll summarise briefly. The first, looks at how the loss of smell is correlated with a positive diagnosis of COVID-19. The second paper reviews an interesting case of discoloured lesions affecting the feet that pre-date fever symptoms and have become known as “COVID Toes”. Whilst there is still much to learn about the transmission and diverse epidemiology seen with this coronavirus, the literature offers us these 2 easy-to-remember considerations that might be useful. With the race to re-open Schools, it might be prudent to be on the lookout for funny feet or a non-smelly fragrance!

The last part of this Livestream will briefly summarise 2 key points from a recent survey into the knowledge and perceptions of direct contact transmission pathways in Australia. We administered this survey to a cohort of Australians, and I’ll give you a very sneak peek since the paper is now at the peer-review stage. I’ll cover the full results in the next few weeks especially as this relates to the creation and maintenance of COVID-safe workplaces.

REFERENCES:

Predictive value of sudden olfactory loss in the diagnosis of COVID-19
Antje Haehner, Julia Draf, Sarah Draeger, Katja de With, Thomas Hummel
medRxiv 2020.04.27.20081356; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.04.27.20081356
Posted May 03, 2020.

Mazzotta F, Troccoli T. Acute acro-ischemia in the child at the time of COVID-19. International Federation of Podiatrists. Available at: https://www.fip-ifp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/acroischemia-ENG.pdf. Accessed April 27, 2020.

Dietz L, Horve PF, Coil DA, Fretz M, Eisen JA, Van Den Wymelenberg K. 2020. 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic: built environment considerations to reduce transmission. mSystems 5:e00245-20. https://doi.org/10.1128/mSystems.00245-20.

Xing YH, Ni W, Wu Q, et al. Prolonged viral shedding in feces of pediatric patients with coronavirus disease 2019 [published online ahead of print, 2020 Mar 28]. J Microbiol Immunol Infect. 2020;S1684-1182(20)30081-5. doi:10.1016/j.jmii.2020.03.021

Social easing restrictions will eventually happen - but what does the research say? In today’s episode we’ll be reviewing what the literature says about direct and non-contact forms of virus transmission. I’ve just published a review paper on “Environmental Surface Contamination” and I’ll be picking out the key 🔑 points. In the media today, there’s some potential good news regarding how businesses should prepare for reopening. But what should they be considering? The Employment Minister, @senatormichaeliacash suggests that retailers create “COVID-safe workplaces”. With this in mind, I’ll be setting out some valuable information about surface contamination and what areas and items should be carefully monitored and screened. Apart from simply cleaning more carefully, some workplaces should be considering updates to their cleaning audits and how they may need to test surfaces to confirm that cleaning has minimised and virus that could have been shed. The utility of PCR swab tests will also be discussed as a pro-active way to perform cleaning validation as a form of environmental surveillance

REFERENCES:

JONES, C.L. (2020). Environmental Surface Contamination with SARS-CoV-2 - A Short Review. Journal of Human Virology & Retrovirology. 8(1): 15-19. https://medcraveonline.com/JHVRV/JHVRV-08-00215.pdf

Yamato, J., & Olsen, M. (2020). What will a post-pandemic Hollywood look like? We asked Hollywood. Retrieved 30 April 2020, from https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2020-04-30/coronavirus-reopening-hollywood-production-survey

Rouse, A. (2020). Pubs and restaurants closed due to coronavirus prepare to reopen. Retrieved 30 April 2020, from https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8275969/Pubs-gyms-shops-restaurants-closed-COVID-19-lockdown-prepared-reopen.html

https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.02.25.20028043

https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2020.3227

https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.03.23.20039446

https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.03.23.20039446

https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.03.29.20046557

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/7/20-0282_article

https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.04.04.20053058

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/7/20-0282_article

https://doi.org/10.1111/ina.12606

https://doi.org/10.3201/eid1002.030759

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