The differences in virus shedding time between the Delta variant and original SARS-CoV-2 infected patients

Frontiers in Public Health

Public Health

Jiayi Deng¹  Min Xu¹  Guyi Wang¹  Chenfang Wu¹  Yanjun Zhong¹  Jinxiu Li¹  Canbin Xie¹  Fanglin Li² 

[1] Critical Care Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China;Critical Care Medicine, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China;Department of Hematology and Critical Care Medicine, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China;

关键词: SARS-CoV-2;    delta variant;    COVID-19;    virus shedding time;    risk factor;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpubh.2023.1132643

 received in 2023-01-05, accepted in 2023-07-06,  发布年份 2023

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundThe worldwide epidemic of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has evolved into multiple variants. The Delta variant is known for its ability to spread and replicate, while data are limited about the virus shedding time in patients infected by the Delta variant.Methods56 Delta variant and 56 original SARS-CoV-2 infected patients from Hunan, China, matched according to age and gender divided into two groups and compared the baseline characteristics and laboratory findings with appropriate statistical methods.ResultsPatients infected with the Delta variant had significantly fewer symptoms of fever (p < 0.001), fatigue (p = 0.004), anorexia (p < 0.001), shortness of breath (p = 0.004), diarrhea (p = 0.006), positive pneumonia rate of chest CT (p = 0.019) and chest CT ground glass opacities (p = 0.004) than those of patients with the original SARS-CoV-2. Patients of the Delta variant group had a significantly longer virus shedding time [41.5 (31.5, 46.75) vs. 18.5 (13, 25.75), p < 0.001] compared with the original SARS-CoV-2 group. The correlation analyses between the virus shedding time and clinical or laboratory parameters showed that the virus shedding time was positively related to the viral strain, serum creatinine and creatine kinase isoenzyme, while negatively correlated with lymphocyte count, total bilirubin and low-density lipoprotein. Finally, the viral strain and lymphocyte count were thought of as the independent risk factors of the virus shedding time demonstrated by multiple linear regression.ConclusionCOVID-19 patients infected with the Delta variant exhibited fewer gastrointestinal symptoms and prolonged virus shedding time than those infected with the original SARS-CoV-2. Delta variant and fewer lymphocyte were correlated with prolonged virus shedding time.

【 授权许可】

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Copyright © 2023 Li, Deng, Xie, Wang, Xu, Wu, Li and Zhong.