CoV-2 viral load in throat saliva samples correlates with clinical outcomes from COVID-19

This longitudinal observational cohort study describes coronavirus viral load in saliva throat samples in 23 people diagnosed with laboratory confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Hong Kong.

Higher viral load was associated with more symptoms, slower recover and poorer outcomes.

“The median viral load in posterior oropharyngeal saliva or other respiratory specimens at presentation was 5·2 log₁₀ copies per mL (IQR 4·1–7·0). Salivary viral load was highest during the first week after symptom onset and subsequently declined with time (slope −0·15, 95% CI −0·19 to −0·11; R²=0·71). In one patient, viral RNA was detected 25 days after symptom onset.”

Ref: To KK-W et al. Temporal profiles of viral load in posterior oropharyngeal saliva samples and serum antibody responses during infection by SARS-CoV-2: an observational cohort study. Lancet Infectious Disease. DOI: 10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30196-1. (23 March 2020).
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(20)30196-1/fulltext