Recently, the epidemic has been circulating around the world, Omicron has attacked many places, and there is no history of high-risk travel in various places, nor any confirmed cases, asymptomatic infected persons, suspected cases of contact history, no hospital visits or patient visitation experience, and no clear experience of contact with imported cold chain items, but the cases of New Crown Nucleic Acid Rapid Test infected with New Crown.
Multiple locations have also confirmed the transmission route of imported items such as dragon fruit and international logistics items infected with neo-crown.
At this point, the question was raised again: Isn't it said that the virus will quickly lose its activity when it leaves the body? Items coming in from abroad after many days of circulation, how can still infect people, but also by the new crown nucleic acid rapid test is positive?
In fact, after leaving the human body, the new coronavirus survives for a longer period of time in a suitable environment, especially at present, everywhere into winter, the temperature is lower, the survival time of the virus is relatively longer.
Research shows that the new coronavirus in the ambient temperature of 21-23 ℃, relative humidity of 65% of the environment can survive for 3 hours; when the new coronavirus attached to the surface of objects, it will survive longer, in plastic and stainless steel surface its up to be able to survive 72 hours; in -1 ℃ to -10 ℃ environment, the new coronavirus can survive for weeks to months. In a certain range, the lower the temperature, the less active it is, but the longer it survives.
Moreover, at present, Omicron has become the main transmission virus, but its research is not yet thorough and its survival time in the environment is yet to be studied, therefore, we need to strengthen the treatment of foreign objects, items that enter through the cold chain to take adequate protective measures.
It is because the survival of the new coronavirus in the environment can also cause the risk of infection, around the rapid testing of environmental samples for new coronavirus nucleic acid has become an indispensable preventive and control measures.
So what is the difference between rapid testing of environmental samples for Nucleic acid and rapid testing of human samples for Nucleic acid?
Except for the difference in sampling, there is no difference in the rest of the steps and the Nucleic Acid Rapid Test, all of which require the same four processes.
Sampling: The same as conventional sampling, environmental sampling requires the use of swabs, sampling location from the pharynx, nasal cavity changed to the surface of environmental objects, mainly with surface coating sampling method, with a stronger hydrophilic swab in the environment exposed to the facilities repeatedly rubbed, repeated sampling.
Sample pre-processing: Environmental sample testing also requires entry of sample information (where the sample was collected), adding liquid and other operations.
Nucleic acid extraction: This step of nucleic acid extraction is all about purification of the nucleic acids in the sample.
Amplification analysis: Whether it is the human new crown nucleic acid rapid test or environmental samples new crown nucleic acid rapid test, amplification is the most important part of the new crown nucleic acid rapid test. The principle of both is to amplify the nucleic acid for replication and analyze the virus-specific nucleic acid fragments in the sample by fluorescence quantitative PCR, and report a positive result if a neo-coronavirus-specific nucleic acid fragment is present.
The Omicron strain is a mutant strain of New Coronavirus with significant transmission ability, which is enhanced to some extent compared to previous viruses such as Delta and Alpha. Omicron is usually attached to the surface of objects, making it easier to achieve object-to-person transmission.
Personal protection measures, adequate disinfection of foreign objects, and timely rapid nucleic acid testing are the most powerful means to deal with Omicron strains today.