Detectable 2019-nCoV viral RNA in blood is a strong indicator for the further clinical severity. Issue 1 (1st January 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chen, Weilie; Lan, Yun; Yuan, Xiaozhen; Deng, Xilong; Li, Yueping; Cai, Xiaoli; Li, Liya; He, Ruiying; Tan, Yizhou; Deng, Xizi; Gao, Ming; Tang, Guofang; Zhao, Lingzhai; Wang, Jinlin; Fan, Qinghong; Wen, Chunyan; Tong, Yuwei; Tang, Yangbo; Hu, Fengyu; Li, Feng; Tang, Xiaoping
• Is Part Of: Emerging microbes & infections. Volume 9:Issue 1(2020)
• Page Start: 469
• Page End: 473
• Publication Date: 2020-01-01
• Subjects: 2019-ncov -- laboratory test -- blood viral RNA -- pharyngeal swab -- anal swab; Medical microbiology -- Periodicals; Communicable diseases -- Periodicals; Infection -- Periodicals; 616.9041
• DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2020.1732837
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2222-1751

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infection caused pneumonia. we retrospectively analyzed the virus presence in the pharyngeal swab, blood, and the anal swab detected by real-time PCR in the clinical lab. Unexpectedly, the 2109-nCoV RNA was readily detected in the blood (6 of 57 patients) and the anal swabs (11 of 28 patients). Importantly, all of the 6 patients with detectable viral RNA in the blood cohort progressed to severe symptom stage, indicating a strong correlation of serum viral RNA with the disease severity ( p -value = 0.0001). Meanwhile, 8 of the 11 patients with annal swab virus-positive was in severe clinical stage. However, the concentration of viral RNA in the anal swab (Ct value = 24 + 39) was higher than in the blood (Ct value = 34 + 39) from patient 2, suggesting that the virus might replicate in the digestive tract. Altogether, our results confirmed the presence of virus RNA in extra-pulmonary sites.