Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 viral load in the upper respiratory tract peaks around symptom onset and infectious virus persists for 10 days in mild-to-moderate coronavirus disease (n = 324 samples analysed). RT-PCR cycle threshold (Ct) values correlate strongly with cultivable virus. Probability of culturing virus declines to 8% in samples with Ct > 35 and to 6% 10 days after onset; it is similar in asymptomatic and symptomatic persons. Asymptomatic persons represent a source of transmissible virus.
Highlights
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 viral load in the upper respiratory tract peaks around symptom onset and infectious virus persists for 10 days in mild-to-moderate coronavirus disease (n = 324 samples analysed)
The aim of this work was to understand how reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) detection relates to cultivable virus, which can be used as a proxy for infectiousness and can inform and support decisions on infection control
In the first 3 months of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom (UK), we received 754 Upper respiratory tract (URT) samples from 425 symptomatic cases that tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR targeting the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) gene [1] and that had a clear record of the dates of symptom onset and sample collection
Summary
In the first 3 months of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom (UK) (late January to early April 2020), we received 754 URT samples from 425 symptomatic cases that tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR targeting the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) gene [1] and that had a clear record of the dates of symptom onset and sample collection. These samples were collected as part of the First Few 100 surveillance study described in Boddington et al [2]. The y axis was created in Stata 15.1 with reversed log scale*
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