Viral RNA load as determined by cell culture as a management tool for discharge of SARS-CoV-2 patients from infectious disease wards
Bernard La Scola, Marion Le Bideau, Julien Andréani, Van Thuan Hoang, Clio Grimaldier, Philippe Colson, Philippe Gautret, Didier Raoult
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.
Topics & Concepts
HydroxychloroquineMedical microbiologyAzithromycinViral loadMedicineCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)Infectious disease (medical specialty)VirologyViral cultureDiseaseSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)VirusIsolation (microbiology)ImmunologyInternal medicineIntensive care medicineBiologyMicrobiologyAntibioticsCOVID-19 Clinical Research StudiesSARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 ResearchSARS-CoV-2 detection and testing