Abstract

Background

Comparison of clinical value of RT-qPCR-based SARS-CoV-2 tests performed on saliva samples (SSs) and nasopharyngeal swab samples (NPSs) for prediction of the COVID-19 disease severity.

Methods

Three paired SSs and NPSs collected every 3 days from 100 hospitalised COVID-19 patients during 2020 Jul-2021 Jan were tested by RT-qPCR for the original SARS-CoV-2 virus and compared to 150 healthy controls. Cases were divided into mild+moderate (Cohort I, N = 47) and severe disease (Cohort II, N = 53) cohorts and compared.

Results

SARS-CoV-2 was detected in 65% (91/140) vs. 53% (82/156) of NPSs and 49% (68/139) vs. 48% (75/157) of SSs collected from Cohort I and II, respectively, resulting in the total respective detection rates of 58% (173/296) vs. 48% (143/296) (P = 0.017). Ct values of SSs were lower than those of NPSs (mean Ct = 28.01 vs. 30.07, P = 0.002). Although Ct values of the first SSs were significantly lower in Cohort I than in Cohort II (P = 0.04), it became negative earlier (mean 11.7 vs. 14.8 days, P = 0.005). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis showed that Ct value ≤30 from SSs was the independent predictor for severe COVID-19 (HR = 10.06, 95% CI: 1.84–55.14, P = 0.008).

Conclusion

Salivary RT-qPCR testing is suitable for SARS-CoV-2 infection control, while simple measurement of Ct values can assist in prediction of COVID-19 severity.

Details

Title
SARS-CoV-2 RT-qPCR Ct values in saliva and nasopharyngeal swab samples for disease severity prediction
Author
Snipaitiene, Kristina 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Zablockiene, Birute 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Sabaliauskaite, Rasa 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Zukauskaite, Kristina 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Matulyte, Elzbieta 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Smalinskaite, Tautvile 4   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Paulauskas, Mindaugas 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Zablockis, Rolandas 5   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Lopeta, Mantvydas 6   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Gagilas, Julius 6   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Puriene, Alina 7   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Jancoriene, Ligita 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Jarmalaite, Sonata 1 

1  Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania; Laboratory of Genetic Diagnostic, National Cancer Institute of Lithuania, Vilnius, Lithuania 
2  Center of Infectious Diseases, Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos, Vilnius, Lithuania; Clinic of Infectious Diseases and Dermatovenerology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania 
3  Laboratory of Genetic Diagnostic, National Cancer Institute of Lithuania, Vilnius, Lithuania 
4  Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania 
5  Clinic of Chest Diseases, Immunology and Allergology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania; Centre of Pulmonology and Allergology, Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos, Vilnius, Lithuania 
6  JSC Diagnolita, Vilnius, Lithuania 
7  Institute of Odontology, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania 
Publication year
2023
Publication date
Dec 2023
Publisher
Taylor & Francis Ltd.
e-ISSN
20002297
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1080/20002297.2023.2213106
ProQuest document ID
2894310176
Copyright
© 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.