Airport effects modelled
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Cleaning airport surfaces every two hours could significantly reduce norovirus infections.
A new study suggests that regular cleaning of airport surfaces appears to substantially lower the risk of norovirus transmission, a highly infectious gastrointestinal virus.
Disinfecting public surfaces every two hours could cut the risk of infection by 83 per cent, according to research published in PLOS Computational Biology.
The study, led by Nan Zhang from Beijing University of Technology, analysed 26,000 surface interactions in airports captured during 21.3 hours of surveillance.
Using a surface transmission model, researchers assessed infection risks in various zones of the airport.
Restaurants emerged as the highest-risk areas, with an estimated 4.6 infections per 51,494 travellers.
Disinfection proved to be the most effective measure, reducing infections by over 83 per cent.
In comparison, other preventative methods were less impactful.
Handwashing every two hours resulted in only a 2 per cent reduction in infection risk, while wearing masks half the time lowered transmission rates by 48 per cent.
The use of antimicrobial coatings on surfaces, such as those made of copper alloys, showed variable effectiveness, with reductions ranging from 15.9 per cent to 99.2 per cent.
These findings emphasise the critical role of regular surface cleaning in high-traffic environments like airports, where norovirus transmission is a significant concern.
Norovirus causes severe symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhoea and is responsible for 685 million infections and 200,000 deaths annually. Its transmission is exacerbated in crowded and shared environments.
“Regular surface disinfection is much more effective than regular handwashing for blocking norovirus transmission via the fomite route in airports,” the researchers stated.
The study reinforces the value of stringent cleaning protocols to reduce the spread of infectious diseases in public transport hubs.
