A touch transfer assay to determine surface transmission of highly pathogenic viruses

Transmission via fomites poses a major dissemination route for many human patho-gens, particularly because of transfer via fingertips. Here, we present a protocol to investigate direct transfer of infectious agents from fomites to humans via naked fin-gertips. The protocol is suitable for pathogens requiring highest biosafety levels (e.g., SARS-CoV-2). We used an artificial skin to touch a defined volume of virus sus-pension and subsequent quantification of infectious entities allows quantitative measurement of transfer efficiency and risk assessment.For complete information on the generation and use of this manuscript, please refer to Todt et al. (2021).

Automated summary

This article presents a protocol for investigating the direct transfer of infectious agents from fomites to humans via naked fingertips. The protocol is suitable for high biosafety level pathogens, such as SARS-CoV-2, and allows for quantitative measurement of transfer efficiency and risk assessment.