Prolonged SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid conversion time in military personnel outbreaks with presence of specific IgG antibodies.
J Med Microbiol
; 71(1)2022 Jan.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1662162
ABSTRACT
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is transmitted person-to-person mainly by close contact or droplets from respiratory tract. However, the actual time of viral shedding is still uncertain as well as the different routes of transmission. We aimed to characterize RNA shedding from nasopharyngeal and rectal samples in prolonged cases of mild COVID-19 in young male soldiers. Seventy patients from three different military locations were monitored after recommending to follow more strict isolation measures to prevent the spread of the virus. Then, nasopharyngeal, rectal, and blood samples were taken. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected by RT-PCR and specific antibodies by chemiluminescent immunoassays. The median nucleic acid conversion time (NACT) was 60 days (IQR 7-85 days). Rectal swabs were taken in 60â% of patients. Seven patients (10â%) were positive in nasopharyngeal and rectal swabs, and five (7.14â%) remained positive in rectal swabs, but negative in nasopharyngeal samples. Four patients (5.71â%) that had been discharged, were positive again after 15 days. No significant difference was found in nucleic acid conversion time between age groups nor clinical classification. Maintaining distancing among different positive patients is essential as a possible re-exposure to the virus could cause a longer nucleic acid conversion time in SARS-COV-2 infections.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Immunoglobulin G
/
RNA, Viral
/
COVID-19
/
Antibodies, Viral
Type of study:
Diagnostic study
/
Experimental Studies
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
/
Randomized controlled trials
Topics:
Long Covid
Limits:
Humans
/
Male
Language:
English
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Jmm.0.001498
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