SARS-CoV-2 viral load dynamics and real-time RT-PCR cycle threshold interpretation in symptomatic non-hospitalised individuals in New Zealand: a multicentre cross sectional observational study.

ABSTRACT: We conducted a multicentre cross sectional observational study of laboratory, public health and hospitalisation data for PCR-confirmed COVID-19 cases within the New Zealand Northern Region, between 12 February and 8 June 2020. The aim of this study was to describe population level SARS-CoV-2 upper respiratory tract (URT) viral load dynamics by stratifying positivity rates and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) cycle threshold (Ct) values of URT samples from COVID-19 cases by days since symptom onset, and to explore utility of Ct values in determining length of time post-infection and thus potential infectivity. Of 123,124 samples tested for SARS-CoV-2 by PCR, 579 samples (407 positive and 172 negative) from 368 symptomatic non-hospitalised individuals with PCR-confirmed infection were include

SUBMITTER: Fox-Lewis A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7980174 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature