Factors Associated With Prolonged Viral RNA Shedding in Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

An outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is becoming a public health emergency. Data are limited on the duration and host factors related to viral shedding.

METHODS:

In this retrospective study, risk factors associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA shedding were evaluated in a cohort of 113 symptomatic patients from 2 hospitals outside Wuhan.

RESULTS:

The median (interquartile range) duration of SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection was 17 (13-22) days as measured from illness onset. When comparing patients with early (<15 days) and late (≥15 days after illness onset) viral RNA clearance, prolonged SARS-CoV-2 RNA shedding was associated with male sex (P = .009), old age (P = .033), concomitant hypertension (P = .009), delayed admission to hospital after illness onset (P = .001), severe illness at admission (P = .049), invasive mechanical ventilation (P = .006), and corticosteroid treatment (P = .025). Patients with longer SARS-CoV-2 RNA shedding duration had slower recovery of body temperature (P < .001) and focal absorption on radiograph images (P < .001) than patients with early SARS-CoV-2 RNA clearance. Male sex (OR, 3.24; 95% CI, 1.31-8.02), delayed hospital admission (OR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.10-1.54), and invasive mechanical ventilation (OR, 9.88; 95% CI, 1.11-88.02) were independent risk factors for prolonged SARS-CoV-2 RNA shedding.

CONCLUSIONS:

Male sex, delayed admission to hospital after illness onset, and invasive mechanical ventilation were associated with prolonged SARS-CoV-2 RNA shedding. Hospital admission and general treatments should be started as soon as possible in symptomatic COVID-19 patients, especially male patients.

• Authors: Kaijin Xu, Yanfei Chen, Jing Yuan, Ping Yi, Cheng Ding, Wenrui Wu, Yongtao Li, Qin Ni, Rongrong Zou, Xiaohe Li, Min Xu, Ying Zhang, Hong Zhao, Xuan Zhang, Liang Yu, Junwei Su, Guanjing Lang, Jun Liu, Xiaoxin Wu, Yongzheng Guo, Jingjing Tao, Ding Shi, Ling Yu, Qing Cao, Bing Ruan, Lei Liu, Zhaoqin Wang, Yan Xu, Yingxia Liu, Jifang Sheng, Lanjuan Li
• Journal: Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (Clin Infect Dis) Vol. 71 Issue 15 Pg. 799-806 (07 28 2020) ISSN: 1537-6591 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 32271376 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Multicenter Study, Observational Study, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: © The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail: [email protected].

Chemical References

• RNA, Viral

Topics

• Adult
• Betacoronavirus (isolation & purification, pathogenicity)
• COVID-19
• China (epidemiology)
• Cohort Studies
• Coronavirus Infections (epidemiology, virology)
• Disease Progression
• Female
• Hospitalization
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Pandemics
• Pneumonia, Viral (epidemiology, virology)
• RNA, Viral (isolation & purification)
• Respiration, Artificial (adverse effects)
• Retrospective Studies
• Risk Factors
• SARS-CoV-2
• Sex Factors
• Time Factors
• Time-to-Treatment
• Virus Shedding