AUTHOR=Cui Huan , Zhao Kui , Zhang Cheng , Lin Jing , Sun Shihui , Li Qi , Du Le , Zhang Chunmao , Liu Juxiang , Gao Feng , He Wenqi , Gao Yuwei , Guo Zhendong , Guan Jiyu TITLE=Parapoxvirus-based therapy eliminates SARS-CoV-2-loaded fine aerosol and blocks viral transmission in hamster models JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology VOLUME=13 YEAR=2022 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2022.1086627 DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2022.1086627 ISSN=1664-302X ABSTRACT=

Currently, it is believed that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an airborne virus, and virus-containing aerosol particles have been found concurrent with the onset of COVID-19, which may contribute to the noncontact transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Exploring agents to block SARS-CoV-2 transmission is of great importance to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, we found that inactivated Parapoxvirus ovis (iORFV), a kind of immunomodulator, could compress the proportion of small particle aerosols exhaled by Syrian golden hamsters. Notably, the concentration of SARS-CoV-2 RNA-containing aerosol particles was significantly reduced by iORFV in the early stages after viral inoculation. Importantly, smaller aerosol particles (<4.7 μm) that carry infectious viruses were completely cleared by iORFV. Consistently, iORFV treatment completely blocked viral noncontact (aerosol) transmission. In summary, iORFV may become a repurposed agent for the prevention and control of COVID-19 by affecting viral aerosol exhalation and subsequent viral transmission.