Asymptomatic COVID-19 Adult Outpatients identified as Significant Viable SARS-CoV-2 Shedders.
Sci Rep
; 11(1): 20615, 2021 10 18.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1475482
ABSTRACT
Differential kinetics of RNA loads and infectious viral levels in the upper respiratory tract between asymptomatic and symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infected adult outpatients remain unclear limiting recommendations that may guide clinical management, infection control measures and occupational health decisions. In the present investigation, 496 (2.8%) of 17,911 French adult outpatients were positive for an upper respiratory tract SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection by a quantitative RT-PCR assay, of which 180 (36.3%) were COVID-19 asymptomatic. Of these adult asymptomatic viral shedders, 75% had mean to high RNA viral loads (Ct values < 30) which median value was significantly higher than that observed in symptomatic subjects (P = 0.029), and 50.6% were positive by cell culture assays of their upper respiratory tract specimens. Our findings indicate that COVID-19 asymptomatic adult outpatients are significant viable SARS-CoV-2 shedders in their upper respiratory tract playing a major potential role as SARS-CoV-2 transmitters in various epidemiological transmission chains, promoting COVID-19 resurgence in populations.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Outpatients
/
Virus Shedding
/
SARS-CoV-2
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Prognostic study
Limits:
Adolescent
/
Adult
/
Animals
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
/
Young adult
Country/Region as subject:
Europa
Language:
English
Journal:
Sci Rep
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
S41598-021-00142-8
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