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SARS-CoV-2 Clinical Characteristics and Viral Shedding in Kuwait
Mohammad Alghounaim1, Chelsea Caya2, Khalid Alothman3
1Department of Pediatrics, Amiri Hospital, Ministry of Health, Kuwait, Kuwait.
Objectives:
We aimed to describe the clinical characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 infection and estimate viral shedding duration in respiratory specimens.
Methods:
A retrospective cohort study was performed from February 25 to March 25, 2020. In Kuwait, all suspected coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases, contacts of cases, and returning travelers were systematically tested for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR. All infected persons, regardless of symptoms, were hospitalized and serially tested until they had two negative results. Descriptive statistics and regression analyses were performed.
Results:
Two hundred seven cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection were included in this study. About half of the cases were asymptomatic and 1.9% died. The median time to negative RT-PCR was 22 days. Increasing age, ARDS, and low peripheral white blood cell count were associated with prolonged PCR positivity.
Conclusion:
Predictors for prolonged RT-PCR positivity included increasing age, ARDS, and low white blood cell count. The findings of this study may aid in better understanding of the epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 infection and molecular testing dynamics.
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