We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us

Download Mobile App




SARS-CoV-2 Detected in Multiple Sample Types

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 23 Mar 2020
An epidemic of respiratory disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) began in China and has spread to other countries. More...
Real-time reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) of nasopharyngeal swabs typically has been used to confirm the clinical diagnosis.

However, whether the virus can be detected in specimens from other sites, and therefore potentially transmitted in other ways than by respiratory droplets, is unknown. Scientists have outlined efforts to understand which clinical specimens can harbor the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes the coronavirus disease COVID-19.

Infectious Disease specialists at the Beijing Ditan Hospital (Beijing, China) and their colleagues collected 1,070 samples from 205 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19, using RNA extraction and real-time reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-qPCR), to search for sequences stemming from SARS-CoV-2. In particular, samples were deemed SARS-Cov-2-positive if RNA from the virus could be detected with 40 or fewer RT-qPCR cycles.

The scientists detected SARS-CoV-2 RNA in 72 of 104 sputum samples, five of eight nasal swab samples, and 126 of 398 pharyngeal swab samples. While the virus was not found in any of the 72 urine samples tested, it did turn up in 29% of the 153 fecal samples assessed, prompting follow-up culturing and electron microscopy analyses on four fecal samples to search for live viruses. The most pronounced rates of positivity came from the so-called bronchoalveolar lavage samples, collected by washing and retrieving fluid samples from part of a patient's lung through the mouth or nose. Of the 15 samples collected in that manner, 14 (93%) were positive for the coronavirus. In contrast, just six of 13 (46%) biopsy samples obtained using a fibrobronchoscope brush tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-qPCR.

The investigators detected SARS-CoV-2 in just 1% of the 307 blood samples tested, totaling three positive blood samples in all, results that they suspect were due to systemic infection in these patients. Some 19% of the patients in that group developed severe illness, while the majority of those diagnosed with the condition experienced now well-documented symptoms such as a fever, fatigue, and a dry cough.

The authors explained that blood, sputum, feces, urine, and nasal samples were collected throughout the illness. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and fibrobronchoscope brush biopsy were samples from patients with severe illness or undergoing mechanical ventilation. The study was published on March 11, 2020 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Related Links:
Beijing Ditan Hospital


Gold Member
Antipsychotic TDM Assays
Saladax Antipsychotic Assays
Serological Pipet Controller
PIPETBOY GENIUS
New
Silver Member
Quality Control Material
NATtrol Chlamydia trachomatis Positive Control
New
Urine Chemistry Control
Dropper Urine Chemistry Control
Read the full article by registering today, it's FREE! It's Free!
Register now for FREE to LabMedica.com and get access to news and events that shape the world of Clinical Laboratory Medicine.
  • Free digital version edition of LabMedica International sent by email on regular basis
  • Free print version of LabMedica International magazine (available only outside USA and Canada).
  • Free and unlimited access to back issues of LabMedica International in digital format
  • Free LabMedica International Newsletter sent every week containing the latest news
  • Free breaking news sent via email
  • Free access to Events Calendar
  • Free access to LinkXpress new product services
  • REGISTRATION IS FREE AND EASY!
Click here to Register








Channels

Hematology

view channel
Image: The microfluidic device for passive separation of platelet-rich plasma from whole blood (Photo courtesy of University of the Basque Country)

Portable and Disposable Device Obtains Platelet-Rich Plasma Without Complex Equipment

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) plays a crucial role in regenerative medicine due to its ability to accelerate healing and repair tissue. However, obtaining PRP traditionally requires expensive centrifugation... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: PD-1 protein blockade is the standard treatment for advanced melanoma among the different types of immunotherapy (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Precision Tool Predicts Immunotherapy Treatment Failure in Melanoma Patients

Melanoma, though accounting for only about 4% of skin tumors, is the deadliest form of skin cancer due to its high potential to metastasize. While immunotherapy, especially PD-1 protein blockade, has revolutionized... Read more

Pathology

view channel
Image: Researchers have developed a novel method to analyze tumor growth rates (Photo courtesy of Adobe Stock)

Novel Method To Analyze Tumor Growth Rates Helps Tracks Progression Between Diagnosis and Surgery

Patients diagnosed with breast cancer often worry about how quickly their tumors grow while they wait for surgery, and whether delays in treatment might allow the disease to spread beyond the point of cure.... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.