Abstract
Background: Detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has principally been performed through the use of real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction testing. Results of such tests can be reported as cycle threshold (Ct) values, which may provide semi-quantitative or indirect measurements of viral load. Previous reports have examined temporal trends in Ct values over the course of a SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Methods: Using testing data collected during a prospective household transmission investigation of outpatient and mild coronavirus disease 2019 cases, we examined the relationships between Ct values of the viral RNA N1 target and demographic, clinical, and epidemiological characteristics collected through participant interviews and daily symptom diaries.
Results: We found that Ct values are lowest (corresponding to a higher viral RNA concentration) soon after symptom onset and are significantly correlated with the time elapsed since onset (P < .001); within 7 days after symptom onset, the median Ct value was 26.5, compared with a median Ct value of 35.0 occurring 21 days after onset. Ct values were significantly lower among participants under 18 years of age (P = .01) and those reporting upper respiratory symptoms at the time of sample collection (P = .001), and were higher among participants reporting no symptoms (P = .05).
Conclusions: These results emphasize the importance of early testing for SARS-CoV-2 among individuals with symptoms of respiratory illness, and allow cases to be identified and isolated when their viral shedding may be highest.
Keywords: COVID-19; RT-PCR; SARS-CoV-2; cycle threshold; epidemiology.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, RT-PCR, cycle threshold, epidemiology., 【초록키워드】 coronavirus disease, Coronavirus disease 2019, coronavirus, Epidemiology, SARS-COV-2 infection, Infection, viral shedding, Respiratory illness, detection, Symptom, severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus, RT-PCR, polymerase chain reaction, Characteristics, Viral load, cycle threshold, Ct value, Mild, household transmission, age, epidemiological, Viral RNA, Concentration, Ct values, Chain Reaction, no symptoms, upper respiratory symptoms, symptom onset, acute respiratory syndrome, no symptom, acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, individual, participant, sample collection, significantly lower, polymerase chain, lowest, Course, Result, highest, performed, collected, examined, significantly, reported, median, correlated, semi-quantitative, elapsed, the median, upper respiratory symptom, 【제목키워드】 detection, coronavirus 2, respiratory, reaction, cycle, chain, value,