A case report of SARS-CoV-2 confirmed in saliva specimens up to 37 days after onset: Proposal of saliva specimens for COVID-19 diagnosis and virus monitoring

J Infect Chemother. 2020 Oct;26(10):1086-1089. doi: 10.1016/j.jiac.2020.06.011. Epub 2020 Jun 13.

Abstract

We present the case of a 71-year-old man who, despite becoming asymptomatic after having some mild symptoms of COVID-19, had SARS-CoV-2 RNA detected for 37 days after onset, from his concentrated and purified saliva specimens using sugar chain-immobilized gold nanoparticles. It was suggested that the early morning saliva specimens were more likely to show positive results than those obtained later in the day.

Keywords: COVID-19; RT-PCR; SARS-CoV-2; Saliva; Sugar chain-immobilized magnetic gold nanoparticle; Virus shedding.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Betacoronavirus / isolation & purification*
  • COVID-19
  • COVID-19 Testing
  • Clinical Laboratory Techniques
  • Coronavirus Infections / diagnosis
  • Coronavirus Infections / virology*
  • Gold / chemistry
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Metal Nanoparticles
  • Pandemics
  • Pneumonia, Viral / diagnosis
  • Pneumonia, Viral / virology*
  • RNA, Viral / isolation & purification
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Saliva / virology*
  • Time Factors
  • Viral Load
  • Virus Shedding

Substances

  • RNA, Viral
  • Gold