Clinical and Virological Characteristics of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) B.1.617.2 (Delta) Variant: A Prospective Cohort Study.
Clin Infect Dis
; 75(1): e27-e34, 2022 08 24.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1852999
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Data on the clinical and virological characteristics of the Delta variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are limited. This prospective cohort study compared the characteristics of the Delta variant to other variants.METHODS:
Adult patients with mild coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) who agreed to daily saliva sampling at a community isolation facility in South Korea between July and August 2021 were enrolled. Scores of 28 COVID-19-related symptoms were recorded daily. The genomic RNA and subgenomic RNA from saliva samples were measured by real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Cell cultures were performed on saliva samples with positive genomic RNA results.RESULTS:
A total of 141 patients (Delta group, nâ =â 108 [77%]; non-Delta group, nâ =â 33 [23%]) were enrolled. Myalgia was more common in the Delta group than in the non-Delta group (52% vs 27%, Pâ =â .03). Total symptom scores were significantly higher in the Delta group between days 3 and 10 after symptom onset. Initial genomic RNA titers were similar between the 2 groups; however, during the late course of disease, genomic RNA titers were higher in the Delta group. Negative conversion of subgenomic RNA was slower in the Delta group (median 9 vs 5 days; Pâ <â .001). The duration of viral shedding in terms of positive viral culture was also longer in the Delta group (median 5 vs 3 days; Pâ =â .002).CONCLUSIONS:
COVID-19 patients infected with the Delta variant exhibited prolonged viable viral shedding with more severe symptoms than those infected with non-Delta variants.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
SARS-CoV-2
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Cohort study
/
Experimental Studies
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
/
Randomized controlled trials
Topics:
Long Covid
/
Variants
Limits:
Adult
/
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Clin Infect Dis
Journal subject:
Communicable Diseases
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Cid
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