ABSTRACT
We retrospectively studied nasopharyngeal severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) viral load in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients who were hospitalized between January 13 and April 1, 2020. Quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was conducted using primers and probes targeting the ORF1ab and N genes. All patients were classified in the following groups: Group 1: received favipiravir + chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine + lopinavir/ritonavir or darunavir/ritonavir for 5-10 days, Group 2: received chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine + lopinavir/ritonavir or darunavir/ritonavir for 5-10 days, and Group 3: no antiviral medication. Among the 115 patients, 38 (33%), 54 (47%), and 23 (20%) were in Groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The median (IQR) baseline viral loads on day 0 of Groups 1, 2, and 3 were 7.2 (6.0-8.1), 6.9 (5.8-7.8), and 6.9 (5.8-7.6) log10 copies/mL, respectively. The reductions of mean viral loads on day 3 from baseline were 2.41, 1.38, and 2.19 log10 copies/mL in the corresponding groups (P < 0.05). There were no differences in the reduction of mean viral loads from baseline among the three groups on days 5 and 10 (P > 0.05). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that receiving favipiravir was associated with nasopharyngeal viral load reduction at three days (P = 0.001). Significant nasopharyngeal SARS-CoV-2 viral load reduction was achieved in COVID-19 patients who received a favipiravir-containing regimen.
Subject(s)
Amides/therapeutic use , Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use , COVID-19 Drug Treatment , Pyrazines/therapeutic use , SARS-CoV-2/drug effects , Viral Load/drug effects , Adult , COVID-19/diagnosis , COVID-19/virology , Drug Therapy, Combination , Female , Hospitalization , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Nasopharynx , Retrospective Studies , SARS-CoV-2/isolation & purification , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
We report two cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in travellers from Wuhan, China to Thailand. Both were independent introductions on separate flights, discovered with thermoscanners and confirmed with RT-PCR and genome sequencing. Both cases do not seem directly linked to the Huanan Seafood Market in Hubei but the viral genomes are identical to four other sequences from Wuhan, suggesting early spread within the city already in the first week of January.