Response to “Severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) surface contamination in staff common areas and impact on healthcare worker infection: Prospective surveillance during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic”

To the Editor—We read with great interest the recent paper by Zhang et al, which demonstrated severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA contamination in staff common areas in an acute-care hospital. Many investigators have assessed the frequency and level of environmental contamination (ie, surfaces and air) in rooms housing patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, to our knowledge, this is one of few studies to evaluate SARS-CoV-2 contamination outside patient rooms in units or hospitals providing care for patients with COVID-19. Given the finding of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in common  areas of the hospital, this paper is likely to generate substantial  concern among healthcare personnel (HCP). Therefore, we would like to provide some comments and context for this important finding regarding the likelihood that viable SARS-CoV-2 is present in common areas in an amount sufficient to pose a risk to HCP.