Comparative Aerosol and Surface Stability of SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern

SARS-CoV-2 transmits principally by air; contact and fomite transmission may also occur. Variants of concern are more transmissible than ancestral SARS-CoV-2. We found indications of possible increased aerosol and sur-face stability for early variants of concern, but not for the Delta and Omicron variants. Stability changes are unlike-ly to explain increased transmissibility.

Automated summary

SARS-CoV-2 primarily spreads through air, but can also be transmitted through contact and fomites. Variants of concern show higher transmissibility compared to the ancestral SARS-CoV-2. While early variants of concern exhibited potential increased aerosol and surface stability, this was not observed in the Delta and Omicron variants. Changes in stability are unlikely to explain the increased transmissibility.