Summary
It has been suggested that during the period of respiratory worsening of severe COVID-19 patients, viral replication plays a less important role than inflammation. Using the droplet-based digital PCR (ddPCR) for precise quantification of plasma SARS-CoV-2 viral load (SARS-CoV-2 RNAemia), we investigated the relationship between plasma viral load, comorbidities, and mortality of 122 critically ill COVID-19 patients. SARS-CoV-2 RNAemia was detected by ddPCR in 90 (74%) patients, ranging from 70 to 213,152 copies per mL. A high (>1 000 copies/ml) or very high (>10,000 copies/ml) SARS-Cov-2 RNAemia was observed in 46 patients (38%), of which 26 were diabetic. Diabetes was independently associated with a higher SARS-CoV-2 RNAemia. In multivariable logistic regression models, SARS-CoV-2 RNAemia was strongly and independently associated with day-60 mortality. Early initiation of antiviral therapies might be considered in COVID-19 critically ill patients with high RNAemia.
【저자키워드】 Virology, clinical medicine, 【초록키워드】 COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Inflammation, antiviral therapy, Mortality, Comorbidities, digital PCR, Critically ill, Viral load, viral replication, Patient, plasma, quantification, patients, COVID-19 patients, Critically ill patient, Diabetic, multivariable logistic regression, SARS-CoV-2 viral load, worsening, severe COVID-19 patients, investigated, less, suggested, 【제목키워드】 SARS-CoV-2, Mortality, Critically ill, COVID-19 patient, diabete,