Upper Respiratory Tract Levels of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 RNA and Duration of Viral RNA Shedding Do Not Differ Between Patients With Mild and Severe/Critical Coronavirus Disease 2019
Journal article, 2021
This study reports longitudinal viral RNA loads from the nasopharynx/throat in patients with mild and severe/critical coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We also investigated whether the duration of symptoms correlated with the duration of viral RNA shedding. A total of 56 patients were included. The highest viral loads occurred early after onset of symptoms. Neither the viral RNA loads in the upper respiratory tract nor the time to viral RNA clearance differed between patients with mild or severe/critical disease. There was a moderate correlation between number of days with symptoms and number of days with viral RNA shedding in patients with mild COVID-19.
SARS-CoV-2
nasopharynx
viral shedding
COVID-19
Author
Aylin Yilmaz
Sahlgrenska University Hospital
University of Gothenburg
Emelie Marklund
University of Gothenburg
Sahlgrenska University Hospital
Maria Andersson
University of Gothenburg
Staffan Nilsson
Chalmers, Mathematical Sciences, Applied Mathematics and Statistics
Lars-Magnus Andersson
University of Gothenburg
Sahlgrenska University Hospital
Magnus Lindh
University of Gothenburg
Magnus Gisslen
University of Gothenburg
Sahlgrenska University Hospital
Journal of Infectious Diseases
0022-1899 (ISSN) 1537-6613 (eISSN)
Vol. 223 1 15-18Subject Categories
Surgery
Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Respiratory Medicine and Allergy
Rheumatology and Autoimmunity
DOI
10.1093/infdis/jiaa632
PubMed
33020822