Case Report: Prolonged Viral Shedding in Six COVID-19 Patients

COVID-19 has surfaced as a multi-organ disease predominantly affecting the respiratory system. Detection of the viral RNA through reverse transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR) from a nasopharyngeal or throat sample is the preferred method of diagnosis. Recent evidence has suggested that COVID-19 patients can s...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene 2021-02, Vol.104 (4), p.1472-1475
Main Authors: Alsaud, Arwa E, Nair, Arun Prabhakaran, Matarneh, Ahmad S, Sasi, Sreethish, El Hassan, Rania, Khan, Fahmi, Coyle, Peter, Abu Khattab, Mohamed, Mohamed, Mouhand F H
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
COVID-19 - blood
COVID-19 - complications
COVID-19 - drug therapy
COVID-19 - virology
Humans
Immunosuppression Therapy
Male
Middle Aged
SARS-CoV-2 - physiology
Time Factors
Virus Shedding
Young Adult
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Summary:COVID-19 has surfaced as a multi-organ disease predominantly affecting the respiratory system. Detection of the viral RNA through reverse transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR) from a nasopharyngeal or throat sample is the preferred method of diagnosis. Recent evidence has suggested that COVID-19 patients can shed the SARS-CoV-2 for several weeks. Herein, we report six cases of COVID-19 who had persistently positive SARS-CoV-2 on repeat RT-PCR testing reaching up to 9 weeks. The spectrum of cases described ranges from asymptomatic infection to severe COVID-19 pneumonia. A full understanding of the virus's transmission dynamics needs further research. Prolonged viral shedding currently has unclear implications on the management and isolation decisions-the role of the cycle threshold (Ct) value in guiding therapeutic decisions is yet to be clarified. More data on the relationship between Ct values and viral cultivation are needed, especially in patients with prolonged viral shedding, to understand the virus's viability and infectivity.
ISSN:0002-9637
1476-1645
DOI:10.4269/ajtmh.20-0933