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Evaluation of the SARS-CoV-2 positivity ratio and upper respiratory tract viral load among asymptomatic individuals screened before hospitalization or surgery in Flanders, Belgium
- Source :
- PLoS ONE, Vol 16, Iss 11, p e0259908 (2021), PLoS ONE, PLoS ONE, Vol 16, Iss 11 (2021)
- Publication Year :
- 2021
- Publisher :
- Public Library of Science (PLoS), 2021.
-
Abstract
- Introduction The incidence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections in the Belgian community is mainly estimated based on test results of patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19)-like symptoms. The aim of this study was to investigate the evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) positivity ratio and distribution of viral loads within a cohort of asymptomatic patients screened prior hospitalization or surgery, stratified by age category. Materials/Methods We retrospectively studied data on SARS-CoV-2 real-time RT-PCR detection in respiratory tract samples of asymptomatic patients screened pre-hospitalization or pre-surgery in nine Belgian hospitals located in Flanders over a 12-month period (1 April 2020–31 March 2021). Results In total, 255925 SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR test results and 2421 positive results for which a viral load was reported, were included in this study. An unweighted overall SARS-CoV-2 real-time RT-PCR positivity ratio of 1.27% was observed with strong spatiotemporal differences. SARS-CoV-2 circulated predominantly in 80+ year old individuals across all time periods except between the first and second COVID-19 wave and in 20–30 year old individuals before the second COVID-19 wave. In contrast to the first wave, a significantly higher positivity ratio was observed for the 20–40 age group in addition to the 80+ age group compared to the other age groups during the second wave. The median viral load follows a similar temporal evolution as the positivity rate with an increase ahead of the second wave and highest viral loads observed for 80+ year old individuals. Conclusion There was a high SARS-CoV-2 circulation among asymptomatic patients with a predominance and highest viral loads observed in the elderly. Moreover, ahead of the second COVID-19 wave an increase in median viral load was noted with the highest overall positivity ratio observed in 20–30 year old individuals, indicating they could have been the hidden drivers of this wave.
- Subjects :
- Male
RNA viruses
Viral Diseases
Coronaviruses
Artificial Gene Amplification and Extension
Disease
medicine.disease_cause
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Medical Conditions
Belgium
Respiratory Tract Infections
Pathology and laboratory medicine
Coronavirus
Virus Testing
Aged, 80 and over
Multidisciplinary
Incidence (epidemiology)
Middle Aged
Medical microbiology
Viral Load
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hospitalization
medicine.anatomical_structure
Infectious Diseases
Cohort
Viruses
Science & Technology - Other Topics
Medicine
Female
medicine.symptom
SARS CoV 2
Pathogens
Viral load
Research Article
Adult
medicine.medical_specialty
Adolescent
SARS coronavirus
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)
Science
Surgical and Invasive Medical Procedures
Research and Analysis Methods
Asymptomatic
Microbiology
Viral Evolution
Young Adult
Diagnostic Medicine
Virology
medicine
Humans
Molecular Biology Techniques
Molecular Biology
Aged
Medicine and health sciences
Evolutionary Biology
Science & Technology
Biology and life sciences
business.industry
SARS-CoV-2
Organisms
Viral pathogens
COVID-19
Covid 19
Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction
Organismal Evolution
Surgery
Microbial pathogens
Age Groups
Asymptomatic Diseases
People and Places
Microbial Evolution
Population Groupings
Human medicine
business
Viral Transmission and Infection
Respiratory tract
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 19326203
- Volume :
- 16
- Issue :
- 11
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- PLoS ONE
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....4530a69be3318540ee28310948dc3ed3