Inference of Active Viral Replication in Cases with Sustained Positive Reverse Transcription-PCR Results for SARS-CoV-2.
J Clin Microbiol
; 59(2)2021 01 21.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1043875
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to detect coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases with persistent positive reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) results for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), for which viable virus can be inferred due to the presence of subgenomic (SG) viral RNA, which is expressed only in replicating viruses. RNA remnants purified from diagnostic nasopharyngeal specimens were used as the templates for RT-PCR-specific detection of SG E gene RNA. As controls, we also detected viral genomic RNA for the E gene and/or a human housekeeping gene (RNase P). We assessed the samples of 60 RT-PCR-positive cases with prolonged viral SARS-CoV-2 shedding (24 to 101 days) since the first diagnostic RT-PCR. SG viral RNA was detected in 12/60 (20%) of the persistent cases, 28 to 79 days after the onset of symptoms. The age range of the cases with prolonged viral shedding and the presence of SG RNA was quite wide (40 to 100 years), and the cases were equally distributed between males (42%) and females (58%). No case was HIV positive, although seven were immunosuppressed. According to the severities of the COVID-19 episodes, they were mild (40%), intermediate (20%), and severe (40%). In a percentage of persistent SARS-CoV-2 PCR-positive cases, the presence of actively replicating virus may be inferred, far beyond diagnosis. We should not assume a universal lack of infectiousness for COVID-19 cases with prolonged viral shedding.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Virus Replication
/
COVID-19 Nucleic Acid Testing
/
SARS-CoV-2
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Diagnostic study
/
Observational study
Topics:
Long Covid
Limits:
Adult
/
Aged
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Language:
English
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
JCM.02277-20
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