Paper-based record file of patients could be a fomite for SARS- CoV-2 transmission in Hospital Setting of Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs)

In the wake of the present COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a much-needed increase in awareness among the general public of handwashing, social distancing, and observing cough and sneeze etiquette, and even disinfecting other fomites, we miss to focus on the paper documents, which has been the method and in some low and middle economy countries (LMICs), ‘the only method’ of patients documentation. Worthy of note is that the virus can survive on paper and on cardboard for up to 3 to 24 hours. Most of the hospitals in LMICs are using paper to keep patient records, owing to poor funding and lack of proper databases. Each record file is exchanged many times between health care workers, patient’s caretakers as well as various administrative people in the hospital; also it travels to different wards or rooms for various purposes along with patients during the course of medical check-up and treatment. The virus could be transmitted during this process. At present, very little is known regarding surface distribution of SARS-CoV-2 in hospitals of LMICs which rely on paper documentation of patients. This paper raises the question regarding the risk of using paper-based record keeping inside hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic