Prolonged Persistence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in Body Fluids

Emerg Infect Dis. 2020 Aug;26(8):1834-1838. doi: 10.3201/eid2608.201097. Epub 2020 May 8.

Abstract

We prospectively assessed 49 coronavirus disease cases in Guangdong, China, to estimate the frequency and duration of detectable severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 RNA in human body fluids. The prolonged persistence of virus RNA in various body fluids may guide the clinical diagnosis and prevention of onward virus transmission.

Keywords: 2019 novel coronavirus disease; COVID-19; China; Guangdong; RNA; SARS-CoV-2; coronavirus; coronavirus disease; persistence; respiratory infections; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; viruses; zoonoses.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Betacoronavirus / genetics
  • Betacoronavirus / pathogenicity*
  • COVID-19
  • COVID-19 Testing
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • China / epidemiology
  • Clinical Laboratory Techniques / methods
  • Coronavirus Infections / diagnosis
  • Coronavirus Infections / epidemiology*
  • Coronavirus Infections / transmission*
  • Feces / virology
  • Female
  • Hospitalization / statistics & numerical data
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Nasopharynx / virology
  • Pandemics*
  • Pharynx / virology
  • Pneumonia, Viral / diagnosis
  • Pneumonia, Viral / epidemiology*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / transmission*
  • Prospective Studies
  • RNA, Viral / genetics*
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Sputum / virology
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • RNA, Viral