Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness

December 10, 2020

Transmissibility of COVID-19 Depends on the Viral Load around Onset in Adult and Symptomatic Patients

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  • In a retrospective study of 28 COVID-19 patients in Japan, median viral load at initial sample collection was significantly higher in symptomatic than asymptomatic patients, and also higher among adults than children. Among symptomatic patients (n=18), median viral load was consistently higher in patients identified as household cluster index cases than in non-index cases up to 10 days after symptom onset. Viral load was also higher among index patients than in non-index patients among adults (both symptomatic and asymptomatic; n=21).

Kawasuji et al. (Dec 9, 2020). Transmissibility of COVID-19 Depends on the Viral Load around Onset in Adult and Symptomatic Patients. PLOS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0243597