COVID-19 contamination of high-touch surfaces in the public domain

The virus that causes COVID-19 disease (SARS-CoV2) is a major global threat to public health, with mortality and serious morbidity rates of up to 5 and 15%, respectively [1, 2]. It is also very damaging to the global economy. The virus can be transmitted by airborne spread or by direct contact with contaminated surfaces [3, 4]. It is thus crucial to determine if high-touch public surfaces are contaminated. This could have important public health implications by identifying contaminated surfaces and reinforcing the important public health messages regarding hand hygiene, especially in children. In this project, we focused on playground equipment in public spaces, public toilet surfaces and buttons at pedestrian crossings throughout Dublin because these are high-touch public surfaces that may contribute to the spread of the virus.