Viral RNA Load in Symptomatic and Asymptomatic COVID-19 Omicron Variant-Positive Patients

Abstract

Objectives. Viral load is important when evaluating viral transmission potential, involving the use of a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) cycle threshold (Ct) value. We aimed to analyze the PCR Ct values of respiratory tract samples taken from patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron variant strains to evaluate these strains’ viral dynamics. Methods. This study comprised 361 patients. The Ct values of SARS-CoV-2-related respiratory samples were compared between symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. Results. The median (25th percentile and 75th percentile) nasopharynx and oropharynx SARS-CoV-2 Ct values were 30.5 (24.5–35.0) and 34.5 (30.0–37.0) in the symptomatic group, respectively, and 27.8 (23.4–34.5) and 33.5 (26.0–35.0) in the asymptomatic group, respectively, without significance. In the symptomatic group, subgroup analyses according to age showed the mean nasal Ct value for patients aged >18 years was 29.0 (23.5–34.5), which was significantly lower than that of patients aged 0–4 years and 5–13 years (36.0 (30.5–38.0) and 34.5 (31.0–39.0), respectively). The nasal Ct value for asymptomatic patients aged >18 years was 25.5 (20.9–28.4), which was significantly lower than of patients aged 5–13 years (34.5 (25.6–36.4)). Conclusion. Our findings suggest that the viral loads of asymptomatic and symptomatic patients did not differ significantly. However, adults infected with SARS-CoV-2 had higher nasal viral loads that those of young children.