SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid shedding is variable for every person

Daiana de Lima-Morales; Priscila Lamb Wink; Fabiana Caroline Zempulski Volpato; Joíza Lins Camargo; Fernanda de-Paris; Afonso Luís Barth

doi:10.1590/0037-8682-0162-2021

SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid shedding is variable for every person

Rev Soc Bras Med Trop. 2021 Jul 2:54:e10622021. doi: 10.1590/0037-8682-0162-2021. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Daiana de Lima-Morales^{1

2}, Priscila Lamb Wink^{1

2

3}, Fabiana Caroline Zempulski Volpato^{1

2

4}, Joíza Lins Camargo^{1

5

6}, Fernanda de-Paris^{1

2

6}, Afonso Luís Barth^{1

2

3

4}

Affiliations

¹ Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Centro de Pesquisa Experimental, Laboratório de Pesquisa em Resistência Bacteriana (Labresis), Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.
² Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Laboratório de Diagnóstico de SARS-CoV-2 (LabCovid), Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.
³ Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Faculdade de Farmácia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.
⁴ Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Faculdade de Medicina, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Médicas, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.
⁵ Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Faculdade de Medicina, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Médicas: Endocrinologia, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.
⁶ Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Centro de Pesquisa Experimental, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.

Abstract

Introduction: Considering the persistent positivity on RT-qPCR tests, the results of SARS-CoV-2 were monitored to evaluate the viral RNA shedding period.

Methods: Between March and June 2020, the sequential results of 29 healthcare workers' were monitored using RT-qPCR.

Results: More than 50% of the individuals remained RT-qPCR positive after 14 days. Furthermore, this is the first study to describe positive RT-qPCR for SARS-CoV-2 in a healthcare worker with mild symptoms 95 days after the first positive test.

Conclusions: Sequential RT-qPCR results were heterogeneous, and the viral RNA shedding period is unique for each person.

MeSH terms

COVID-19*
Humans
Nucleic Acids*
RNA, Viral / genetics
Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
SARS-CoV-2
Virus Shedding

Substances

Nucleic Acids
RNA, Viral