What question did this study set out to answer?

To quantify SARS-CoV-2 infectiousness across the infection course by evaluating viral load dynamics and cell culture replication probability across clinical severities, age groups, and lineages.

May 25, 2021ScienceOpen Access

Estimating infectiousness throughout SARS-CoV-2 infection course

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Authors

TJTerry C. JonesCorvid Technologies (United States)GBGuido BieleNorwegian Institute of Public Health BMBarbara MühlemannCorvid Technologies (United States)

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Implication

Observational study reveals peak SARS-CoV-2 shedding and culturability occur at 4.3 days across 25,381 patients, highlighting substantial transmission risk even during mild or asymptomatic infection.

Key Points

To quantify SARS-CoV-2 infectiousness across the infection course by evaluating viral load dynamics and cell culture replication probability across clinical severities, age groups, and lineages.
Analyzed 25,381 SARS-CoV-2 cases in Germany, comprising 6,110 presymptomatic, asymptomatic, or mildly symptomatic (PAMS) individuals, 9,519 hospitalized patients, and 1,533 B.1.1.7 lineage infections.
Assessed viral RNA copies per swab via quantitative testing and modeled the probability of isolating replicating virus in cell culture over the disease course.
Peak viral load reached 10^8.1 RNA copies per swab and peak cell culture isolation probability reached 0.75 at an estimated 4.3 days from shedding onset.
Viral loads exceeding 10^9 copies per swab were detected in 8% of subjects, one-third of whom were PAMS (mean age 37.6 years), while the youngest subjects showed lower viral loads by ≤0.5 log10 units (~78% peak cell culture replication probability).
B.1.1.7 lineage infections displayed a mean log10 viral load 1.05 higher and an estimated cell culture replication probability 2.6-fold higher than non-B.1.1.7 infections.

Cite This Study

Jones et al. (2021) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69d6cab58dca315383ed8f6a https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abi5273

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Implication

Observational study reveals peak SARS-CoV-2 shedding and culturability occur at 4.3 days across 25,381 patients, highlighting substantial transmission risk even during mild or asymptomatic infection.

Estimating infectiousness throughout SARS-CoV-2 infection course

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

Estimating infectiousness throughout SARS-CoV-2 infection course

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

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