Viral loads in clinical specimens and SARS manifestations

I F N Hung; S K P Lau; P C Y Woo; K Y Yuen

Viral loads in clinical specimens and SARS manifestations

Hong Kong Med J. 2009 Dec:15 Suppl 9:20-2.

Authors

I F N Hung¹, S K P Lau, P C Y Woo, K Y Yuen

Affiliation

¹ Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital Compound, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China. ivanhung@hku.hk

PMID: 20393220

Abstract

1. A high viral load in nasopharyngeal aspirate (with or without a high viral load in serum) is a useful prognostic indicator of respiratory failure or mortality. The presence of viral RNA in multiple body sites is also indicative of poor prognosis. 2. Early treatment with an effective antiviral agent before day 10 may decrease the peak viral load, and thus ameliorate the clinical symptoms and mortality, and reduce viral shedding and the risk of transmission

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Antiviral Agents / administration & dosage
Antiviral Agents / therapeutic use
Disease Outbreaks
Humans
Nasopharynx / virology
Prognosis
RNA, Viral / metabolism
Retrospective Studies
Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / drug therapy
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / physiopathology*
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / virology
Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / isolation & purification*
Time Factors
Viral Load*
Virus Shedding / drug effects

Substances

Antiviral Agents
RNA, Viral