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Clinical Significance of a High SARS-CoV-2 Viral Load in the Saliva

2020; Korean Academy of Medical Sciences; Volume: 35; Issue: 20 Linguagem: Inglês

10.3346/jkms.2020.35.e195

1598-6357

Jin Gu Yoon, Jung Hee Yoon, Joon Young Song, Soo‐Young Yoon, Chae Seung Lim, Hye Seong, Ji Yun Noh, Hee Jin Cheong, Woo Joo Kim,

COVID-19 diagnosis using AI

Background: Patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can unknowingly spread the virus to several people during the early subclinical period.Methods: We evaluated the viral dynamics in various body fluid specimens, such as nasopharyngeal swab, oropharyngeal swab, saliva, sputum, and urine specimens, of two patients with COVID-19 from hospital day 1 to 9. Additional samples of the saliva were taken at 1 hour, 2 hours, and 4 hours after using a chlorhexidine mouthwash.The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) viral load was determined by real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR).Results: SARS-CoV-2 was detected from all the five specimens of both patients by rRT-PCR.The viral load was the highest in the nasopharynx (patient 1 = 8.41 log 10 copies/mL; patient 2 = 7.49 log 10 copies/mL), but it was also remarkably high in the saliva (patient 1 = 6.63 log 10 copies/mL; patient 2 = 7.10 log 10 copies/mL).SARS-CoV-2 was detected up to hospital day 6 (illness day 9 for patient 2) from the saliva of both patients.The viral load in the saliva decreased transiently for 2 hours after using the chlorhexidine mouthwash.Conclusion: SARS-CoV-2 viral load was consistently high in the saliva; it was relatively higher than that in the oropharynx during the early stage of COVID-19.Chlorhexidine mouthwash was effective in reducing the SARS-CoV-2 viral load in the saliva for a short-term period.