Inoculum at the time of SARS-CoV-2 exposure and risk of disease severity. (August 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Guallar, María Pilar; Meiriño, Rosa; Donat-Vargas, Carolina; Corral, Octavio; Jouvé, Nicolás; Soriano, Vicente
• Is Part Of: International journal of infectious diseases. Volume 97(2020)
• Page Start: 290
• Page End: 292
• Publication Date: 2020-08
• Subjects: coronavirus -- COVID-19 -- inoculum -- outbreak -- transmission -- epidemiology -- disease severity; Communicable diseases -- Periodicals; Communicable Diseases -- Periodicals; Communicable diseases; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 616.9
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2020.06.035
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1201-9712

Abstract

Highlights: A relationship between infecting dose and risk of disease severity has not been demonstrated for COVID-19. We report three clusters of COVID-19 in Madrid, in which infected persons experienced different disease severity according to distinct sizes of viral inoculum. Smaller viral inoculi as a result of wide social distancing would contribute to the lower pathogenicity of recent SARS-CoV-2 infections. Abstract: A relationship between the infecting dose and the risk of disease severity has not been demonstrated for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Here, we report three clusters of individuals that were potentially exposed to distinct inoculum in Madrid. Overall each group developed divergent clinical forms of COVID-19. Our data support that a greater viral inoculum at the time of SARS-CoV-2 exposure might determine a higher risk of severe COVID-19.