Clinical Significance of a High SARS-CoV-2 Viral Load in the Saliva
- Authors
- Yoon, Jin Gu; Yoon, Jung; Song, Joon Young; Yoon, Soo-Young; Lim, Chae Seung; Seong, Hye; Noh, Ji Yun; Cheong, Hee Jin; Kim, Woo Joo
- Issue Date
- 25-5월-2020
- Publisher
- KOREAN ACAD MEDICAL SCIENCES
- Keywords
- COVID-19; Chlorhexidine; SARS-CoV-2; Saliva; Viral Load
- Citation
- JOURNAL OF KOREAN MEDICAL SCIENCE, v.35, no.20
- Indexed
- SCIE
SCOPUS
KCI
- Journal Title
- JOURNAL OF KOREAN MEDICAL SCIENCE
- Volume
- 35
- Number
- 20
- URI
- https://scholar.korea.ac.kr/handle/2021.sw.korea/139073
- DOI
- 10.3346/jkms.2020.35.e195
- ISSN
- 1011-8934
- Abstract
- 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= 8.41log(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 in copies/mL; patient 2 = 7.10 log in 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.
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Collections - College of Medicine > Department of Medical Science > 1. Journal Articles
- Graduate School > Department of Biomedical Sciences > 1. Journal Articles
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