Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness

February 18, 2021

Viral Load of SARS-CoV-2 in Adults during the First and Second Wave of COVID-19 Pandemic in Houston, TX: The Potential of the Super-Spreader

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Analysis of RT-PCR test results in Houston, Texas across two epidemiologic waves from March to August 2020 (n=11,64 samples) show that an increase in the viral load among the samples tested that week preceded the peak of each wave by approximately two weeks. This relationship was more evident during the second wave when the city was reopening from initial lockdown. Individuals from the second wave were more likely to be women, outpatients, and have low cycle thresholds.

Avadhanula et al. (Feb 15, 2021). Viral Load of SARS-CoV-2 in Adults during the First and Second Wave of COVID-19 Pandemic in Houston, TX: The Potential of the Super-Spreader. The Journal of Infectious Diseases. https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiab097