1. SARS-CoV-2 Virus Dynamics in Recently Infected People—Data From a Household Transmission Study
- Author
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Alexandra M Mellis, Jennifer K Meece, Natasha B Halasa, James D Chappell, Huong Q McLean, Carlos G Grijalva, Kayla E Hanson, Yuwei Zhu, Ahra Kim, Jessica Deyoe, Lynn C Ivacic, Carrie Reed, H Keipp Talbot, and Melissa A Rolfes
- Subjects
Adult ,COVID-19 Testing ,Infectious Diseases ,Adolescent ,SARS-CoV-2 ,Humans ,COVID-19 ,RNA, Viral ,Immunology and Allergy ,Child ,Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction - Abstract
We used daily real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) results from 67 cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection in a household transmission study, conducted April 2020–May 2021, to examine the trajectory of cycle threshold (Ct) values, an inverse correlate of viral RNA concentration. Ct values varied across RT-PCR platforms and by participant age. Specimens collected from children and adolescents had higher Ct values and adults aged ≥50 years showed lower Ct values than adults aged 18–49 years. Ct values were lower on days when participants reported experiencing symptoms, with the lowest Ct value occurring 2–6 days after symptom onset.
- Published
- 2022
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