This article is a Preprint
Preprints are preliminary research reports that have not been certified by peer review. They should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Preprints posted online allow authors to receive rapid feedback and the entire scientific community can appraise the work for themselves and respond appropriately. Those comments are posted alongside the preprints for anyone to read them and serve as a post publication assessment.
COVID-19: Exhaled virus detected by Face Mask Sampling provides new links to disease severity and potential infectivity. (preprint)
medrxiv; 2020.
Preprint
in English
| medRxiv | ID: ppzbmed-10.1101.2020.08.18.20176693
ABSTRACT
Background Nasopharyngeal samples (NPS) are the mainstay of COVID-19 diagnosis. However, the extent to which assay signals relate to exhaled virus is unknown. We investigated the use of novel, non-invasive face-mask sampling (FMS) to detect exhaled SARS-CoV-2 RNA in two studies. Methods In an outbreak study (cohort 1), we performed FMS and NPS for 21 consecutive days after diagnosis on six healthcare workers who were screened positive for SARS-CoV-2. In a second hospitalised cohort (cohort 2), we performed FMS on 47 patients within 24 hours of a positive diagnosis. COVID-19 severity was graded according to WHO recommendations. Findings In cohort 1, SARS-COV-2 was detected by FMS in 10/40 (25%) samples (4/6 individuals), with no correlation between NPS and FMS RNA signals. All samples were negative by day 14 post diagnosis. Sustained FMS positivity with higher viral RNA signals showed a trend towards disease severity. In cohort 2, 19/47 (40%) individuals exhaled SARS-CoV-2 RNA extending over five orders of magnitude. FMS positive participants were older (positive median age [IQR] 71 [61-84] vs negative 61 [45-73], p=0.04) with more comorbidities (positive 2 [1-3] vs negative 1 [0-2], p<0.001) and have active cough (positive 68% vs negative 24%, p=0.003) and breathlessness (positive 74% vs negative 32%, p=0.005) during sampling, compared to FMS negative patients. Of five patients who were FMS positive and asymptomatic at time of sampling, two died of severe COVID-19 pneumonia within one month of follow up. Interpretation FMS detects exhaled SARS-COV-2, with stronger signals in those who develop severe disease.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
Preprints
Database:
medRxiv
Main subject:
Pneumonia
/
Masked Hypertension
/
COVID-19
Language:
English
Year:
2020
Document Type:
Preprint
Similar
MEDLINE
...
LILACS
LIS