Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium; Department of general internal medicine, University Hospitals Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
Imec Solutions department, imec, 3001, Leuven, Belgium.
Int J Infect Dis. 2022 Oct;123:25-33. doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2022.07.069. Epub 2022 Aug 4.
We performed exhaled breath (EB) and nasopharyngeal (NP) quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and NP rapid antigen testing (NP RAT) of SARS-CoV-2 infections with different variants.
We included immuno-naïve alpha-infected (n = 11) and partly boosted omicron-infected patients (n = 8) as high-risk contacts. We compared peak NP and EB qPCR cycle time (ct) values between cohorts (Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test). Test positivity was compared for three infection phases using Cochran Q test.
Peak median NP ct was 11.5 (interquartile range [IQR] 10.1-12.1) for alpha and 12.2 (IQR 11.1-15.3) for omicron infections. Peak median EB ct was 25.2 (IQR 24.5-26.9) and 28.3 (IQR 26.4-30.8) for alpha and omicron infections, respectively. Distributions did not differ between cohorts for NP (P = 0.19) or EB (P = 0.09). SARS-CoV-2 shedding peaked on day 1 in EB (confidence interval [CI] 0.0 - 4.5) and day 3 in NP (CI 1.5 - 6.0). EB qPCR positivity equaled NP qPCR positivity on D0-D1 (P = 0.44) and D2-D6 (P = 1.0). It superseded NP RAT positivity on D0-D1 (P = 0.003) and D2-D6 (P = 0.008). It was inferior to both on D7-D10 (P < 0.001).
Peak EB and nasopharynx shedding were comparable across variants. EB qPCR positivity matched NP qPCR and superseded NP RAT in the first week of infection.
我们对不同变异株的 SARS-CoV-2 感染进行了呼出物(EB)和鼻咽(NP)定量聚合酶链反应(qPCR)和 NP 快速抗原检测(NP RAT)。
我们纳入了免疫初染的阿尔法感染(n=11)和部分加强的奥密克戎感染(n=8)作为高风险接触者。我们比较了两组的 NP 和 EB qPCR 峰值循环时间(ct)值(Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney 检验)。使用 Cochran Q 检验比较了三个感染阶段的检测阳性率。
阿尔法和奥密克戎感染的 NP 峰值中位 ct 值分别为 11.5(四分位距 [IQR] 10.1-12.1)和 12.2(IQR 11.1-15.3)。EB 峰值中位 ct 值分别为 25.2(IQR 24.5-26.9)和 28.3(IQR 26.4-30.8)。NP(P=0.19)或 EB(P=0.09)两组之间的分布无差异。EB 中 SARS-CoV-2 脱落的峰值出现在第 1 天(置信区间 [CI] 0.0-4.5),而 NP 则出现在第 3 天(CI 1.5-6.0)。EB qPCR 阳性率在 D0-D1(P=0.44)和 D2-D6(P=1.0)与 NP qPCR 阳性率相同。EB qPCR 阳性率在 D0-D1(P=0.003)和 D2-D6(P=0.008)时均优于 NP RAT 阳性率。在 D7-D10 时均劣于两者(P<0.001)。
在不同变异株中,EB 和鼻咽的脱落高峰相似。EB qPCR 阳性率在感染的第一周与 NP qPCR 相符,并优于 NP RAT。