Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness

December 11, 2020

SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV, and MERS-CoV viral load dynamics, duration of viral shedding, and infectiousness: a systematic review and meta-analysis

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  • A meta-analysis of viral RNA shedding of SARS-CoV-2 (79 studies, 5,340 individuals), SARS-CoV (8 studies, 1,858 individuals), and MERS-CoV (11 studies, 799 individuals) found the mean duration of SARS-CoV-2 RNA shedding was 17 days in upper respiratory tract, 14.6 days in lower respiratory tract, 17.2 days in stool, and 16.6 days in serum samples. No study detected live SARS-CoV-2 from culture beyond day 9 of symptoms despite persistently high viral RNA loads. The viral load of SARS-CoV-2 appeared to peak in the first week after symptom onset, compared to peaks at days 10-14 for SARS-CoV and days 7-10 for MERS-CoV.

Cevik et al. (Dec 11, 2020). SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV, and MERS-CoV viral load dynamics, duration of viral shedding, and infectiousness: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet Microbe.   https://doi.org/10.1016/S2666-5247(20)30172-5