The diffusion of SARS-CoV-2, starting from China in December 2019, has led to a pandemic, reaching Italy in February 2020. Previous studies in Asia have shown that the median duration of SARS-CoV-2 viral shedding was approximately 12–20 days. We considered a cohort of patients recovered from COVID-19 showing that the median disease duration between onset and end of COVID-19 symptoms was 27.5 days (interquartile range (IQR): 17.0–33.2) and that the median duration between onset of symptoms and microbiological healing, defined by two consecutive negative nasopharyngeal swabs, was 38 days (IQR: 31.7–50.2). A longer duration of COVID-19 with delayed clinical healing (symptom-free) occurred in patients presenting at admission a lower PaO 2 /FiO 2 ratio ( p < 0.001), a more severe clinical presentation ( p = 0.001) and a lower lymphocyte count ( p = 0.035). Moreover, patients presenting at admission a lower PaO 2 /FiO 2 ratio and more severe disease showed longer viral shedding ( p = 0.031 and p = 0.032, respectively). In addition, patients treated with corticosteroids had delayed clinical healing ( p = 0.013).
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, viral shedding, Steroids, 【초록키워드】 Corticosteroid, pandemic, Italy, Asia, China, Lymphocyte count, nasopharyngeal swabs, Patient, disease, Admission, severe disease, COVID-19 symptom, interquartile range, SARS-CoV-2 viral shedding, previous study, diffusion, defined, shown, occurred, addition, onset of symptom, presenting, cohort of patient, PaO, patients treated, the median, 【제목키워드】 Duration, steroid, role, Italian, Potential,