Viral RNA Load in Mildly Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Children with COVID-19, Seoul, South Korea.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Han MS
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7510743 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Similar Datasets
Project description:As a part of measures to decrease spikes in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases and deaths outside of hospitals, the government of South Korea introduced a plan for community treatment centers (CTCs) to isolate and monitor patients with mild COVID-19 symptoms. We assessed outcomes of 568 patients admitted to 3 CTCs near Daegu. More (64.6%) women than men (35.4%) were admitted, and the mean age of patients was 36.0 years (SD +15.0 years). Among all patients, 75.7% remained asymptomatic while at the CTCs. The mean time patients remained at CTCs was 19.6 days (SD +5.8 days) from the day of diagnosis until our study ended on March 23, 2020. Because they offer appropriate clinical triaging and daily monitoring for patients, CTCs are a safe alternative to medical institutions for asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic patients with COVID-19.
| S-EPMC7510708 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundHuman Norovirus (NoV) is recognized as a major etiological agent of sporadic acute gastroenteritis worldwide.ObjectivesThis study describes the clinical features associated with Human NoV occurrence in children and determines the prevalence and estimated viral burden of NoV in symptomatic and asymptomatic children in rural South Africa.Study designBetween July 2014 and April 2015, outpatient children under 5 years of age from rural communities of Vhembe district, South Africa, were enrolled for the study. A total of 303 stool specimens were collected from those with diarrhea (n=253) and without (n=50) diarrhea. NoVs were identified using real-time one-step RT-PCR.ResultsOne hundred and four (41.1%) NoVs were detected (62[59.6%] GII, 16[15.4%] GI, and 26[25%] mixed GI/GII) in cases and 18 (36%) including 9(50%) GII, 2(11.1%) GI and 7(38.9%) mixed GI/GII in controls. NoV detection rates in symptomatic and asymptomatic children (OR=1.24; 95% CI 0.66?2.33) were not significantly different. Comparison of the median CT values for NoV in symptomatic and asymptomatic children revealed significant statistical difference of estimated GII viral load from both groups, with a much higher viral burden in symptomatic children.ConclusionsThough not proven predictive of diarrhea disease in this study, the high detection rate of NoV reflects the substantial exposure of children from rural communities to enteric pathogens possibly due to poor sanitation and hygiene practices. The results suggest that the difference between asymptomatic and symptomatic children with NoV may be at the level of the viral load of NoV genogroups involved.
| S-EPMC5099155 | biostudies-literature
Project description:We used total RNA of nasopharyngeal swabs from COVID-19 patients to identify their gene expression profile. Multiple biological process were significantly enriched in either asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic patients. These significantly expressed genes were suggested to contribute to the severity of the disease. We also performed metagenomics analysis to identify differences in the microbiome profile of the two groups of patients.
2022-06-29 | GSE186651 | GEO
Project description:We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the possible difference in the SARS-CoV-2 viral load between asymptomatic and symptomatic COVID-19 patients. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed in abstracting data and assessing validity. We searched MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar for all investigations in the English language, reporting data on the threshold cycle (Ct) from real-time RT-PCR assays for the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), envelope (E) and nucleocapsid (N) SARS-CoV-2 genes in asymptomatic and symptomatic COVID-19 patients. Results: Overall, 703 COVID-19 patients (553 symptomatic and 150 asymptomatic) were analyzed. Five investigations reported the mean age of patients, evidencing that asymptomatic patients were younger than symptomatic patients (34.0 vs. 40.3 years, respectively). Pooled data regarding the levels of expression of the RdRp gene revealed no significant difference between symptomatic and asymptomatic subjects. Similarly, no differences were observed comparing the mean Ct values for the E and N genes. Based on real-time RT-PCR data, no differences exist in the viral load between symptomatic and asymptomatic COVID-19 subjects considering Ct values for RdRp, E and N genes' expression. Asymptomatic subjects may represent a reservoir of the infection and significantly contribute to the maintenance of the pandemic.
| S-EPMC8293148 | biostudies-literature
Project description:In Seoul, a majority of plant communities have undergone significant changes over the last few decades; however, how wood decay fungi have responded and adapted to the changes in vegetation remains unknown. Through an ongoing investigation of Korean indigenous fungi, ca. 300 specimens with poroid basidiocarp were collected in Seoul during 2008~2012. Morphological examination and molecular analysis using the internal transcribed spacer and nuclear large subunit ribosomal DNA region sequences helped identify 38 species belonging to 28 genera, 10 families, and 5 orders in this area. Among them, three polypores, Abundisporus pubertatis, Coriolopsis strumosa, and Perenniporia maackiae were found to be new to South Korea.
| S-EPMC4112229 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Pediatric gastroenteritis is a major cause of childhood morbidity and mortality worldwide, especially in developing countries. It has been increasingly recognised that human caliciviruses (HuCV), comprising noroviruses (NoV), and sapoviruses (SaV), are important in both outbreak and non-outbreak settings. This study aimed to characterise caliciviruses detected in the faeces of hospitalized children and children in the community in India. This study examined 350 faecal samples from children presenting to the hospital with acute gastroenteritis and 673 samples collected from children in the community, 500 from children with diarrhea, and 173 samples from children without diarrhea. Strain characterisation was performed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and partial sequencing of the gene encoding the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and/or a region spanning the open reading frames (ORFs) 1 and 2 (ORF1/ORF2) junction. A total of 68 of 350 specimens (19.4%) from hospitalized children were positive, and SaV and NoV accounted for 5.1 and 15.1% of the infections, respectively. Mixed infections of HuCVs with other enteric pathogens were seen in 9.4% of the total children tested. Sixty-eight out of 673 (10.1%) samples collected from children in the community were positive for caliciviruses, and SaV and NoV accounted for 3.4 and 6.6% of the infections. In the community cohort 55/500 (11%) and 13/173 (7.5%) were from symptomatic and asymptomatic children, respectively, and SaVs accounted for 17/500 (3.4%) and NoVs for 38/500 (7.6%) of the symptomatic infections. This is the first report of genotyping of circulating caliciviruses in both hospital and community in India and has increased the evidence for the role of these viruses in pediatric gastroenteritis in India.
| S-EPMC2473265 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The distribution of upper respiratory viral loads (VL) in asymptomatic children infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is unknown. We assessed PCR cycle threshold (Ct) values and estimated VL in infected asymptomatic children diagnosed in nine pediatric hospital testing programs. Records for asymptomatic and symptomatic patients with positive clinical SARS-CoV-2 tests were reviewed. Ct values were (i) adjusted by centering each value around the institutional median Ct value from symptomatic children tested with that assay and (ii) converted to estimated VL (numbers of copies per milliliter) using internal or manufacturer data. Adjusted Ct values and estimated VL for asymptomatic versus symptomatic children (118 asymptomatic versus 197 symptomatic children aged 0 to 4 years, 79 asymptomatic versus 97 symptomatic children aged 5 to 9 years, 69 asymptomatic versus 75 symptomatic children aged 10 to 13 years, 73 asymptomatic versus 109 symptomatic children aged 14 to 17 years) were compared. The median adjusted Ct value for asymptomatic children was 10.3 cycles higher than for symptomatic children (P < 0.0001), and VL were 3 to 4 logs lower than for symptomatic children (P < 0.0001); differences were consistent (P < 0.0001) across all four age brackets. These differences were consistent across all institutions and by sex, ethnicity, and race. Asymptomatic children with diabetes (odds ratio [OR], 6.5; P = 0.01), a recent contact (OR, 2.3; P = 0.02), and testing for surveillance (OR, 2.7; P = 0.005) had higher estimated risks of having a Ct value in the lowest quartile than children without, while an immunocompromised status had no effect. Children with asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection had lower levels of virus in their nasopharynx/oropharynx than symptomatic children, but the timing of infection relative to diagnosis likely impacted levels in asymptomatic children. Caution is recommended when choosing diagnostic tests for screening of asymptomatic children.
| S-EPMC7771452 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Climate change may significantly affect human health. The possible effects of high ambient temperature must be better understood, particularly in terms of certain diseases' sensitivity to heat (as reflected in relative risks [RR]) and the consequent disease burden (number or fraction of cases attributable to high temperatures), in order to manage the threat.This study investigated the number of deaths attributable to abnormally high ambient temperatures in Seoul, South Korea, for a wide range of diseases.The relationship between mortality and daily maximum temperature using a generalized linear model was analyzed. The threshold temperature was defined as the 90th percentile of maximum daily temperatures. Deaths were classified according to ICD-10 codes, and for each disease, the RR and attributable fractions were determined. Using these fractions, the total number of deaths attributable to daily maximum temperatures above the threshold value, from 1992 to 2009, was calculated. Data analyses were conducted in 2012-2013.Heat-attributable deaths accounted for 3,177 of the 271,633 deaths from all causes. Neurological (RR 1.07; 95% CI, 1.04-1.11) and mental and behavioral disorders (RR 1.04; 95% CI, 1.01-1.07) had relatively high increases in the RR of mortality. The most heat-sensitive diseases (those with the highest RRs) were not the diseases that caused the largest number of deaths attributable to high temperatures.This study estimated RRs and deaths attributable to high ambient temperature for a wide variety of diseases. Prevention-related policies must account for both particular vulnerabilities (heat-sensitive diseases with high RRs) and the major causes of the heat mortality burden (common conditions less sensitive to high temperatures).
| S-EPMC4334895 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectivesStudies comparing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA load in the upper respiratory tract (URT) between children and adults-who either presented with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) or were asymptomatic-have yielded inconsistent results. Here, we conducted a retrospective, single-centre study to address this issue.Patients and methodsIncluded were 1184 consecutive subjects (256 children and 928 adults) testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA in nasopharyngeal exudates (NPs); of these, 424 (121 children and 303 adults) had COVID-19 and 760 (135 children and 625 adults) were asymptomatic close contacts of COVID-19 patients. SARS-CoV-2 RNA testing was carried out using the TaqPath COVID-19 Combo Kit (Thermo Fisher Scientific, MS, USA). The AMPLIRUN® TOTAL SARS-CoV-2 RNA Control (Vircell SA, Granada, Spain) was used for estimating SARS-CoV-2 RNA loads (in copies/mL). SARS-CoV-2 RNA loads at the time of laboratory diagnosis (single specimen/patient) were used for comparison purposes.ResultsMedian initial SARS-CoV-2 RNA load was lower (p 0.094) in children (6.98 log10 copies/mL, range 3.0-11.7) than in adults (7.14 log10 copies/mL, range 2.2-13.4) with COVID-19. As for asymptomatic individuals, median SARS-CoV-2 RNA load was comparable (p 0.97) in children (6.20 log10 copies/mL, range 1.8-11.6) and adults (6.48 log10 copies/mL, range 1.9-11.8). Children with COVID-19 symptoms displayed SARS-CoV-2 RNA loads (6.98 log10 copies/mL, range 3.0-11.7) comparable to those of their asymptomatic counterparts (6.20 log10 copies/mL, range 1.8-11.6) (p 0.61). Meanwhile in adults, median SARS-CoV-2 RNA load was significantly higher in symptomatic (7.14 log10 copies/mL, range 2.2-13.4) than in asymptomatic subjects (6.48 log10 copies/mL, range 1.9-11.8) (p < 0.001). Overall, the observed URT SARS-CoV-2 RNA clearance rate was faster in children than in adults.ConclusionsBased on viral load data at the time of diagnosis, our results suggest that SARS-CoV-2-infected children, with or without COVID-19, may display NP viral loads of comparable magnitude to those found in their adult counterparts. However, children may have shorter viral shedding than adults.
| S-EPMC8349738 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Globally, India has reported the third highest number of COVID-19 cases. Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu state, witnessed a huge surge in COVID-19 cases, resulting in the establishment of isolation facilities named COVID Care Center (CCC). In our study, we describe the demographic, epidemiological, and clinical characteristics; clinical progression; and outcome of 1,263 asymptomatic/mildly symptomatic COVID-19 patients isolated in one such CCC between May 4, 2020 and June 4, 2020. Around 10.5% of the patients progressed to moderate/severe illness, requiring referral for tertiary care, and three died. Nearly half (49.5%) of the patients were symptomatic at the time of admission, 2.2% of the patients developed symptoms post-testing, and 48.5% patients remained asymptomatic during the entire course of illness. Most common presenting symptoms were fever (69.9%) and cough (29.6%), followed by generalized body pain, breathlessness, and loss of smell and taste. On multivariate analysis, we identified that symptomatic patients with comorbidities and higher neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were more likely to progress to severe illness warranting referral for tertiary care. COVID Care Center ensured case isolation and monitoring of asymptomatic/mildly symptomatic patients, thereby providing hospital beds for sick patients. COVID Care Center isolation facilities are safe alternatives for medical institutions to isolate and monitor COVID-19 patients. Older symptomatic patients with comorbidities and a high NLR admitted in an isolation facility must be frequently monitored for prompt identification of clinical progression and referral to higher center for advanced medical care.
| S-EPMC7790092 | biostudies-literature