Search

BackgroundIdentifying characteristics associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA shedding may be useful to understand viral compartmentalization, disease pathogenesis, and risks for viral transmission.MethodsParticipants were enrolled August 2020 to February 2021 in ACTIV-2/A5401, a placebo-controlled platform trial evaluating investigational therapies for mild-to-moderate coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and underwent quantitative SARS-CoV-2 RNA testing on nasopharyngeal and anterior nasal swabs, oral wash/saliva, and plasma at entry (day 0, pretreatment) and days 3, 7, 14, and 28. Concordance of RNA levels (copies/mL) across compartments and predictors of nasopharyngeal RNA levels were assessed at entry (n = 537). Predictors of changes over time were evaluated among placebo recipients (n = 265) with censored linear regression models.ResultsNasopharyngeal and anterior nasal RNA levels at study entry were highly correlated (r = 0.84); higher levels of both were associated with greater detection of RNA in plasma and oral wash/saliva. Older age, White non-Hispanic race/ethnicity, lower body mass index (BMI), SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin G seronegativity, and shorter prior symptom duration were associated with higher nasopharyngeal RNA at entry. In adjusted models, body mass index and race/ethnicity associations were attenuated, but the association with age remained (for every 10 years older, mean nasopharyngeal RNA was 0.27 log10 copies/mL higher; P < .001). Examining longitudinal viral RNA levels among placebo recipients, women had faster declines in nasopharyngeal RNA than men (mean change, -2.0 vs -1.3 log10 copies/mL, entry to day 3; P < .001).ConclusionsSARS-CoV-2 RNA shedding was concordant across compartments. Age was strongly associated with viral shedding, and men had slower viral clearance than women, which could explain sex differences in acute COVID-19 outcomes.

Background: Long-acting cabotegravir (CAB-LA) is highly effective for HIV prevention, but delayed HIV diagnoses and integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI) resistance were observed in trials. We report the first case in routine clinical care of HIV infection on CAB-LA with INSTI resistance., Methods: The SeroPrEP study enrolls individuals in the United States who acquire HIV on pre-exposure prophylaxis modalities to assess diagnostics, antiretroviral (ARV) drug levels, resistance, and treatment outcomes. Resistance mutations in full-length HIV-1 integrase were identified by single-genome sequencing (SGS). Cabotegravir concentrations in plasma and hair segments were measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry., Results: A 23-year-old gender-nonbinary person, male at birth, restarted CAB-LA 6 months after discontinuation due to losing insurance. Prior to restart, HIV-1 RNA was not detected, but 20 days elapsed before CAB-LA injection. After the second CAB-LA injection, HIV antigen/antibody returned reactive (HIV-1 RNA 451 copies/mL). SGS of plasma HIV-1 RNA identified INSTI mutation Q148R in 2/24 sequences 2 days postdiagnosis; commercial genotype failed amplification. Cabotegravir hair concentration was 0.190 ng/mg 2 weeks prediagnosis; plasma cabotegravir was high (3.37 μg/mL; ∼20× PA-IC 90 ) 14 days postdiagnosis. Viral suppression was maintained for 6 months on darunavir/cobicistat/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide, then switched to doravirine + emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide due to nausea., Conclusions: In this first case of HIV infection on CAB-LA with INSTI resistance in routine care, cabotegravir resistance was detected only with a sensitive research assay. Accelerated pathways to minimize time between HIV testing and CAB-LA initiation are needed to optimize acute HIV detection and mitigate resistance risk. Sustained product access regardless of insurance is imperative to reduce HIV infections on CAB-LA., Competing Interests: Potential conflicts of interest. C.A.K. reports research grant funding to institution from the NIH and Gilead Sciences. DVG reports research grant funding to institution from the NIH and receipt of consulting fees from Gilead Sciences and Merck. MT reports receipt of lunch for institution/clinic from Gilead Sciences and ViiV Healthcare and brand medication samples provided by Gilead Sciences to institution/clinic to be used as per standard of HIV prevention/care. AM reports research funding to institution from Gilead Sciences, ViiV, and Merck, and serving on advisory boards for Gilead, ViiV, and EMD Serono. JWM reports research grant funding to institution from the NIH, USAID, and Gilead Sciences; consulting fees from Gilead Sciences; travel support from the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections to attend the CROI meeting as a member of the CROI Scientific Program Committee; membership in the CROI Foundation (non-profit); President of the Foundation for Control of HIV Drug Resistance (non-profit); share options in Galapagos NV, Infectious Disease Connect, Inc, and MingMed Biotechnology Co., Ltd. UMP reports research grant funding to institution from the NIH; payments in the past (2021-2023) from Merck and Company for work that is now completed and unrelated to the current manuscript; and payment and one night of lodging from Thermo-Fisher for a presentation at a scientific conference. All other authors report no potential conflicts., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America.)

Prolonged coronavirus disease 2019 may generate new viral variants. We report an immunocompromised patient treated with monoclonal antibodies who experienced rebound of viral RNA and emergence of an antibody-resistant (>1000-fold) variant containing 5 mutations in the spike gene. The mutant virus was isolated from respiratory secretions, suggesting the potential for secondary transmission., Competing Interests: Potential conflicts of interest. J. W. M. is a consultant to AlloVir, Infectious Disease Connect, and Gilead Sciences; has received grant funding from Gilead Sciences to the University of Pittsburgh; receives compensation from Abound Bio (unrelated to the current work); and holds share options in Infectious Disease Connect and MingMed Biotechnology Co (unrelated to the current work). G. H. is a recipient of research grants from AlloVir, Karius, NIH, and AstraZeneca; reports consulting fees for serving on the advisory boards of Karius and AstraZeneca; and has received honoraria from MDOutlook. E. M. has served on advisory boards for Shionogi and AbbVie related to COVID-19 therapeutics and has received speaker honorarium from Shionogi related to COVID-19 therapeutics. U. M. P. reports consulting fees from Merck & Co. B. J. C. M. has received research funds from AstraZeneca. J. R. B. holds shares/share options in CarePoint Holdings. All other authors report no potential conflicts., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America.)