Factors associated with prolonged viral RNA shedding in patients with COVID-19.

Link to article at PubMed

Related Articles

Factors associated with prolonged viral RNA shedding in patients with COVID-19.

Clin Infect Dis. 2020 Apr 09;:

Authors: Xu K, Chen Y, Yuan J, Yi P, Ding C, Wu W, Li Y, Ni Q, Zou R, Li X, Xu M, Zhang Y, Zhao H, Zhang X, Yu L, Su J, Lang G, Liu J, Wu X, Guo Y, Tao J, Shi D, Yu L, Cao Q, Ruan B, Liu L, Wang Z, Xu Y, Liu Y, Sheng J, Li L

Abstract
BACKGROUND: An outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is becoming a public health emergency. Data are limited on the duration and host factors related to viral shedding.
METHODS: In this retrospective study, risk factors associated with severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA shedding were evaluated in a cohort of 113 symptomatic patients from two hospitals outside Wuhan.
RESULTS: The median duration of SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection was 17 days (Interquartile Range [IQR], 13-22 days) as measured from illness onset. When comparing patients with early (<15 days) and late viral RNA clearance (≥15 days after illness onset), prolonged SARS-CoV-2 RNA shedding was associated with male sex (p=0.009), old age (p=0.033), concomitated with hypertension (p=0.009), delayed admission to hospital after illness onset (p=0.001), severe illness at admission (p=0.049), invasive mechanical ventilation (p=0.006), and corticosteroid treatment (p=0.025). Patients with longer SARS-CoV-2 RNA shedding duration had slower recovery of body temperature (p<0.001) and focal absorption on radiograph images (p<0.001) than patients with early SARS-CoV-2 RNA clearance. Male sex (odds ratio [OR], 3.24 [95% CI, 1.31-8.02]), delayed hospital admission (OR, 1.30 [95% CI, 1.10-1.54]), and invasive mechanical ventilation (OR, 9.88 [95% CI, 1.11-88.02]) were independent risk factors for prolonged SARS-CoV-2 RNA shedding.
CONCLUSIONS: Male sex, delayed admission to hospital after illness onset, and invasive mechanical ventilation were associated with prolonged SARS-CoV-2 RNA shedding. Hospital admission and general treatments should be started as soon as possible in symptomatic COVID-19 patients, especially male patients.

PMID: 32271376 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *