Li Yanyan, Li Kaishu, Xiong Wei, Wang Xinan, Liu Chaowu, Liu Chun, Tan Weiping, Luo Baowei, Zhu Yongfeng, Wu Yanbin, Yin Huiming, Li Xueqin, Li Zunchang
Department of Respiratory Medicine, The People's Hospital of Binzhou City, Binzhou, China.
Department of Respiration, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin.
Medicine (Baltimore). 2020 Dec 18;99(51):e23547. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000023547.
This study aims to investigate the clinical characteristics and viral shedding kinetics of asymptomatic patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).The data of 38 asymptomatic patients positive for SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid were collected from February to March 2020 in Tuanfeng County, Huanggang, Hubei, China. The epidemiology, laboratory examination, chest imaging, viral nucleic acid test results, clinical characteristics, and viral shedding time were summarized in this retrospective study.The study included 20 family members of patients with COVID-19, 10 medical personnel participating in COVID-19 treatment or working in a fever clinic, 6 personnel from quarantine places, 1 individual with a close contact history with confirmed patients, and 1 local epidemic prevention personnel. All were positive for SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid. The white blood cell (WBC) count, the absolute value of lymphocytes, C-reactive protein (CRP), and D-dimer were normal. Pneumonia manifestations were not found in the chest computed tomography (CT) scan of 36 patients; the remaining 2 cases included a 1-year-old child and a pregnant woman, and they did not undergo chest CT. The viral shedding time was 6 days.All asymptomatic patients with COVID-19 had a history of close contact or exposure. Laboratory tests were normal. Chest imaging did not show any pneumonia manifestation. The viral shedding time was <10 days, which is shorter than that of patients with COVID-19. A timely discovery of such asymptomatic infections is crucial for blocking the spread of the virus and strengthening the prevention and control measures.
本研究旨在调查2019冠状病毒病（COVID-19）无症状患者的临床特征及病毒脱落动力学。2020年2月至3月，在中国湖北黄冈团风县收集了38例严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2型（SARS-CoV-2）核酸检测呈阳性的无症状患者的数据。在这项回顾性研究中，总结了其流行病学、实验室检查、胸部影像学、病毒核酸检测结果、临床特征及病毒脱落时间。该研究包括20例COVID-19患者的家庭成员、10名参与COVID-19治疗或在发热门诊工作的医务人员、6名来自隔离场所的人员、1名有确诊患者密切接触史的个体以及1名当地防疫人员。所有患者SARS-CoV-2核酸检测均为阳性。白细胞（WBC）计数、淋巴细胞绝对值、C反应蛋白（CRP）及D-二聚体均正常。36例患者胸部计算机断层扫描（CT）未发现肺炎表现；其余2例包括1名1岁儿童和1名孕妇，未进行胸部CT检查。病毒脱落时间为6天。所有COVID-19无症状患者均有密切接触或暴露史。实验室检查正常。胸部影像学未显示任何肺炎表现。病毒脱落时间<10天，短于COVID-19患者。及时发现此类无症状感染对于阻断病毒传播及加强防控措施至关重要。
