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Viral RNA Load As Determined by Cell Culture As a Management Tool for Discharge of SARS-CoV-2 Patients from Infectious Disease Wards

Overview
Journal Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis
Publisher Springer
Specialties Infectious Diseases
Microbiology
Date 2020 Apr 29
PMID 32342252
Citations 485
Authors
Bernard La Scola
Marion Le Bideau
Julien Andreani
Van Thuan Hoang
Clio Grimaldier
Philippe Colson
Philippe Gautret
Didier Raoult
Affiliations
Soon will be listed here.
Abstract

In a preliminary clinical study, we observed that the combination of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin was effective against SARS-CoV-2 by shortening the duration of viral load in Covid-19 patients. It is of paramount importance to define when a treated patient can be considered as no longer contagious. Correlation between successful isolation of virus in cell culture and Ct value of quantitative RT-PCR targeting E gene suggests that patients with Ct above 33-34 using our RT-PCR system are not contagious and thus can be discharged from hospital care or strict confinement for non-hospitalized patients.

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