tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
J Infect Dis
. 2021 Jul 3;jiab349.
doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiab349. Online ahead of print.
Epidemiologic, immunologic, and virus characteristics in patients with paired SARS-CoV-2 serology and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction testing
Talya Shragai[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sarah E Smith-Jeffcoat[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Mitsuki Koh[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Marcos C Schechter[SUP] 2 3 [/SUP], Paulina A Rebolledo[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Vyjayanti Kasinathan[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Yun Wang[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Adam Hoffman[SUP] 2 3 [/SUP], Halie Miller[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Alexandra Tejada-Strop[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Shilpi Jain[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Azaibi Tamin[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jennifer L Harcourt[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Natalie J Thornburg[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Phili Wong[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Magdalena Medrzycki[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jennifer M Folster[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Vera Semenova[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Evelene Steward-Clark[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jan Drobenuic[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Caitlin Biedron[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Rebekah J Stewart[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Juliana da Silva[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Hannah L Kirking[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jacqueline E Tate[SUP] 1 [/SUP], CDC COVID-19 Emergency Response GA-10 Field Team
Affiliations
Abstract
Background: The natural history and clinical progression of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections can be better understood using combined serological and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing.
Methods: Nasopharyngeal swabs and serum were collected at a single time-point from patients at an urban, public hospital August - November 2020 and tested for SARS-CoV-2 using RT-PCR, viral culture, and anti-Spike pan-Ig antibody testing. Participant demographics and symptoms were collected through interview. Chi-squared and Fisher's exact tests were used to identify associations between RT-PCR and serology results with presence of viable virus and frequency of symptoms.
Results: Among 592 participants, 129 (21.8%) had evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection by RT-PCR or serology. Presence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was strongly associated with lack of viable virus (p-value=0.016). COVID-19 symptom frequency was similar for patients testing RT-PCR positive/seronegative and patients testing RT-PCR positive/seropositive. Patients testing RT-PCR positive/seronegative reported headaches, fatigue, diarrhea and vomiting at rates not statistically significantly different from those testing RT-PCR negative/seropositive.
Conclusions: While patients testing SARS-CoV-2 seropositive were unlikely to test positive for viable virus and were therefore low-risk for forward transmission, COVID-19 symptoms were common. Paired SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR and antibody testing provides more nuanced understanding of patients' COVID-19 status.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; serology; viral culture.
. 2021 Jul 3;jiab349.
doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiab349. Online ahead of print.
Epidemiologic, immunologic, and virus characteristics in patients with paired SARS-CoV-2 serology and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction testing
Talya Shragai[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sarah E Smith-Jeffcoat[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Mitsuki Koh[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Marcos C Schechter[SUP] 2 3 [/SUP], Paulina A Rebolledo[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Vyjayanti Kasinathan[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Yun Wang[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Adam Hoffman[SUP] 2 3 [/SUP], Halie Miller[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Alexandra Tejada-Strop[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Shilpi Jain[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Azaibi Tamin[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jennifer L Harcourt[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Natalie J Thornburg[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Phili Wong[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Magdalena Medrzycki[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jennifer M Folster[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Vera Semenova[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Evelene Steward-Clark[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jan Drobenuic[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Caitlin Biedron[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Rebekah J Stewart[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Juliana da Silva[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Hannah L Kirking[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jacqueline E Tate[SUP] 1 [/SUP], CDC COVID-19 Emergency Response GA-10 Field Team
Affiliations
- PMID: 34216468
- DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiab349
Abstract
Background: The natural history and clinical progression of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections can be better understood using combined serological and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing.
Methods: Nasopharyngeal swabs and serum were collected at a single time-point from patients at an urban, public hospital August - November 2020 and tested for SARS-CoV-2 using RT-PCR, viral culture, and anti-Spike pan-Ig antibody testing. Participant demographics and symptoms were collected through interview. Chi-squared and Fisher's exact tests were used to identify associations between RT-PCR and serology results with presence of viable virus and frequency of symptoms.
Results: Among 592 participants, 129 (21.8%) had evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection by RT-PCR or serology. Presence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was strongly associated with lack of viable virus (p-value=0.016). COVID-19 symptom frequency was similar for patients testing RT-PCR positive/seronegative and patients testing RT-PCR positive/seropositive. Patients testing RT-PCR positive/seronegative reported headaches, fatigue, diarrhea and vomiting at rates not statistically significantly different from those testing RT-PCR negative/seropositive.
Conclusions: While patients testing SARS-CoV-2 seropositive were unlikely to test positive for viable virus and were therefore low-risk for forward transmission, COVID-19 symptoms were common. Paired SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR and antibody testing provides more nuanced understanding of patients' COVID-19 status.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; serology; viral culture.