Long persistence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 swab positivity in a drowned corpse: a case report

Journal of Medical Case Reports

Claudia Petrarca¹  Francesca Potenza²  Liborio Stuppia²  Vincenzo De Laurenzi²  Verena Damiani²  Domitilla Mandatori²  Angela Tartaglia³  Marcello Locatelli³  Pietro Falco⁴  Martina Bonelli⁵  Enrica Rosato⁵  Cristian D’Ovidio⁵ 

[1] Allergy and Immunotoxicology and Occupational Biorepository, Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti-Pescara;Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti-Pescara;Department of Pharmacy, University of Chieti-Pescara “G. d’Annunzio”;Division of Legal Medicine, SS. Annunziata Hospital;Section of Legal Medicine, Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti-Pescara;

关键词: SARS-CoV-2;    COVID-19;    Postmortem swab;    Postmortem positivity;    COVID-19 on drowned cadaver;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s13256-022-03297-8

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Abstract Background Since the beginning of the worldwide spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 to date, important knowledge has been obtained about the virus behavior in living subjects and on inanimate surfaces; however, there is still a lack of data on virus persistency on dead bodies and the risk of contagion from cadavers. Case presentation The present case shows the persistency of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 viral genome in nasopharyngeal swabs performed on a drowned Caucasian man, aged 41 years old, who was completely asymptomatic when he was alive, up to 41 days after death. Specific real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (TaqMan 2019-nCoV Assay Kit v2; Thermo Fisher Scientific, Italy and Realquality RQ-SARS-CoV-2, AB Analytical) was used to evaluate the swabs. Conclusions This data reflect the importance of postmortem swabs in all autopsy cases, and not only in potential severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2-related death, and also highlight the necessity to evaluate virus positivity a long time after the moment of death, even if a low initial viral load was assessed.

【 授权许可】

Unknown