Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Viral RNA Load Status and Antibody Distribution Among Patients and Asymptomatic Carriers in Central China.
Front Cell Infect Microbiol
; 11: 559447, 2021.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-33816325
ABSTRACT
This study aimed to monitor severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) viral loads and specific serum-antibodies (immunoglobulin [Ig] G and M) among confirmed patients and asymptomatic carriers from returning healthy travelers. The throat swabs, sputum, and stool samples from 57 hospitalized coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients and 8 asymptomatic carriers, among 170 returning healthy travelers were tested using reverse-transcription real-time polymerase chain reaction. SARS-CoV-2 IgM/IgG antibodies were detected via serum chemiluminescence assay. Sequential results showed higher viral RNA loads in the throat, sputum, and stool samples at 3-12 and 6-21 days after symptom onset among severely ill COVID-19 patients. Shorter viral habitation time (1-8 days) was observed in the oropharyngeal site and intestinal tract of asymptomatic carriers. The IgG and IgM response rates were 19/37 (51.4%) and 23/37 (62.6%) among the 29 confirmed patients and 8 asymptomatic carriers, respectively, within 66 days from symptom or detection onset. The median duration between symptom onset and positive IgG and IgM results was 30 (n=23; interquartile range [IQR]=20-66) and 23 (n=19; IQR=12-28) days, respectively. Of 170 returning healthy-travelers to China, 4.7% were asymptomatic carriers (8/170) within 2 weeks, and the IgG and IgM positivity rate was 12.8% (12/94). IgM/IgG-positivity confirmed 3 suspected SARS-CoV-2 cases, despite negative results for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Compared with other respiratory viral infectious diseases, COVID-19 has fewer asymptomatic carriers, lower antibody response rates, and a longer antibody production duration in recovered patients and the contacted healthy population. This is an indication of the complexity of COVID-19 transmission.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Viral Load
/
Asymptomatic Diseases
/
SARS-CoV-2
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Diagnostic_studies
/
Observational_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limits:
Aged
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Country/Region as subject:
Asia
Language:
En
Journal:
Front Cell Infect Microbiol
Year:
2021
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
China