Viral RNA Load in Symptomatic and Asymptomatic COVID-19 Omicron Variant-Positive Patients.
Can Respir J
; 2022: 5460400, 2022.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2020512
ABSTRACT
Objectives:
Viral load is important when evaluating viral transmission potential, involving the use of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) cycle threshold (Ct) value. We aimed to analyze the PCR Ct values of respiratory tract samples taken from patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron variant strains to evaluate these strains' viral dynamics.Methods:
This study comprised 361 patients. The Ct values of SARS-CoV-2-related respiratory samples were compared between symptomatic and asymptomatic patients.Results:
The median (25th percentile and 75th percentile) nasopharynx and oropharynx SARS-CoV-2 Ct values were 30.5 (24.5-35.0) and 34.5 (30.0-37.0) in the symptomatic group, respectively, and 27.8 (23.4-34.5) and 33.5 (26.0-35.0) in the asymptomatic group, respectively, without significance. In the symptomatic group, subgroup analyses according to age showed the mean nasal Ct value for patients aged >18 years was 29.0 (23.5-34.5), which was significantly lower than that of patients aged 0-4 years and 5-13 years (36.0 (30.5-38.0) and 34.5 (31.0-39.0), respectively). The nasal Ct value for asymptomatic patients aged >18 years was 25.5 (20.9-28.4), which was significantly lower than of patients aged 5-13 years (34.5 (25.6-36.4)).Conclusion:
Our findings suggest that the viral loads of asymptomatic and symptomatic patients did not differ significantly. However, adults infected with SARS-CoV-2 had higher nasal viral loads that those of young children.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
RNA, Viral
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
Topics:
Variants
Limits:
Adult
/
Child
/
Child, preschool
/
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Can Respir J
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
2022
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