Research
[Lancet Infectious Disease] Viral load of SARS-CoV-2 in clinical samples
Lancet Infectious Disease, 24 Feb 2020
Yang Pan, Daitao Zhang, Peng Yang, Leo L M Poon, Quanyi Wang
Highlights
- Real-time RT-PCR assays are recommended for diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, viral dynamics in infected patients are still yet to be fully determined.
- Findings from different types of clinical specimens collected from 82 infected individuals.
- Serial samples (throat swabs, sputum, urine, and stool) from two patients in Beijing were collected daily after their hospitalisation
- The viral loads in throat swab and sputum samples peaked at around 5–6 days after symptom onset.
- This pattern of changes in viral load is distinct from the one observed in patients with SARS, which normally peaked at around 10 days after onset.
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