Genetic traces of the coronavirus have been found in the feces of patients treated at a hospital in Shenzhen, the findings prompting researchers to warn about the possibility of faecel-oral transmission of the disease (entering the digestive tract through places contaminated with patient feces). in the toilet and steam from the patient’s vomit, Monday (03/2/2020).
Health authorities previously thought the main ways of transmitting the deadly outbreak were through direct contact with saliva droplets, and breathing by an infected person, including touching the face after exposure to surfaces containing the virus.
But new findings from Shenzhen Third People’s Hospital raise the possibility of faecel-oral transmission, after researchers found genetic traces of the coronavirus in patient stool samples. The presence of 2019-nCoV in RNA, or ribonucleic acid – a molecule that carries the genetic code in some viruses – indicates the disease can live in the feces of humans infected with the coronavirus, the Shenzhen Health Commission said.
Similar findings have been presented elsewhere, including in Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus’ first outbreak and the United States, with some scientists saying research suggests it may be transmitted through human feces. Researchers at the Shi Zhengli Laboratory at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, run by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, found nucleic acids in stool samples and rectal swabs from a group of coronavirus pneumonia patients in the city.
The scientists concluded that the virus could be transmitted “to some degree” through faecal-oral transmission.
“Doctors, especially gastroenterologists, should pay close attention to the symptoms of pneumonia caused by the corona virus infection, and take appropriate steps to protect themselves from the patient’s vomit and feces,” explained the scientists as quoted by SCMP.
Zhang Qiwei, a professor at Southern Medical University’s School of Public Health, said it was very likely that the patient’s feces contained live virus, although so far only the RNA has been found. Zhang said it was possible that the coronavirus could be transmitted through faeces, after entering the intestines and multiplying and then being expelled and coming into contact with someone’s hands.
Zhang also warned that the virus could be carried away with steam by the force of the toilet flushing the feces of an infected person, and could harm people in the same room.
“Right now disinfecting toilets will probably be on the government’s agenda,” Zhang told Beijing News. “Toilets used by patients with coronary pneumonia or suspected patients need to be thoroughly disinfected and toilets must be ventilated.”
The scientist is still carrying out epidemiological investigations and research, to confirm whether the virus can be transmitted by faecel-oral, or retransmitted through aerosol formation by droplets containing the virus. So far, the outbreak has claimed 362 lives, and 17,388 people in various locations are reported to have suffered from the virus.
