Yesterday, the Minister of Territorial Policy, Public Works and Mobility, Arcadi España, announced a set of actions to ensure safe transport and a new report on the presence of coronavirus in stations and trains prepared by the working groups of CSIC researchers Gloria Sanchez (IATA) and Xavier Querol (IDAEA), both are part of the committee of experts COVID19 of Comunity of Valencia.
The analysis of the samples, carried out by the Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA), belonging to the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), establishes that no infectious focus has been detected. Of the 32 samples analyzed, only three of the samples have detected traces of RNA of the virus, but in none of the samples of the 3 amplified regions. This study is a continuation of the one carried out last June, which determined that public transport is a safe space.
Gloria Sanchez clarified that "in this second sampling only 1 sample has been amplified with two of the three targets used while in the other two only one of the targets has been detected, indicating the presence of traces of genetic material, but not the complete genome of the virus.
Cleaning and disinfection work in trains and streetcars will be reinforced by fogging with hydrogen peroxide. In addition, having an effective ventilation is essential to minimize the risk of infection. In the case of FGV trains, every less than 3 minutes there is a complete renewal of the air, so any element in the environment would be captured by the system. If we add to this the use of masks and the use of hydrogels, the result is that demonstrated by various studies conducted in countries such as France, United Kingdom, Japan or China, which rate the probability of contagion in public transport between 1% and 0.005%.
Arcadi España explained that "these studies are added to the measures that are applied by FGV to ensure, both male and female travelers as well as workers, the confidence to travel and work in a safe environment, as far as health prevention is concerned, and that allows us to have accurate information on the existence or not of COVID-19".