Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients: SARS-CoV-2 RNA in Plasma Associated with ICU Admission and Mortality

ABSTRACT

No correlation was identified between days from symptom onset and RNAemia frequency or RNA load at baseline. [...]no correlations were found between upper respiratory Ct values and RNAemia frequency or plasma RNA loads, nor between the number of days from symptom onset to ICU admission. There has not been a consistent association found between SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the nasopharynx and asymptomatic vs. symptomatic disease, or with symptomatic disease severity. [...]viral RNA at a local site of initial infection does not give an accurate measure of viral replication in the lower respiratory tract or dissemination of the virus via the bloodstream to other organs. [...]as mentioned earlier, the presence of viral RNA does not necessarily indicate there is replication-competent virus.