A case of transient existence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the respiratory tract with the absence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody response

Yi-Chun Lin; Chien-Yu Cheng; Cheng-Pin Chen; Shu-Hsing Cheng; Sui-Yuan Chang; Po-Ren Hsueh

doi:10.1016/j.ijid.2020.05.070

A case of transient existence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the respiratory tract with the absence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody response

Int J Infect Dis. 2020 Jul:96:464-466. doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2020.05.070. Epub 2020 May 26.

Authors

Yi-Chun Lin¹, Chien-Yu Cheng², Cheng-Pin Chen³, Shu-Hsing Cheng⁴, Sui-Yuan Chang⁵, Po-Ren Hsueh⁶

Affiliations

¹ Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Taoyuan General Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
² Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Taoyuan General Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taoyuan, Taiwan; School of Public Health, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
³ Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Taoyuan General Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
⁴ Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Taoyuan General Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taoyuan, Taiwan; School of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
⁵ Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences and Medical Biotechnology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
⁶ Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: [email protected].

Abstract

We report the case of a patient who had travelled to Japan and who presented mild respiratory symptoms during the COVID-19 outbreak period. There was transient existence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA in his oropharynx. The RNA was absent in the six respiratory specimens that were subsequently tested. An anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody response was absent in the acute and convalescent sera. The reported case indicates that transient colonization of SARS-CoV-2 in the upper respiratory tract is possible without inciting any antibody response against the virus.

Keywords: Asymptomatic infection; COVID-19; Colonization; Contamination; SARS-CoV-2.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Adult
Antibodies, Viral / immunology*
Betacoronavirus / genetics*
Betacoronavirus / immunology
COVID-19
Coronavirus Infections* / epidemiology
Coronavirus Infections* / immunology
Disease Outbreaks
Humans
Japan
Male
Pandemics*
Pneumonia, Viral* / epidemiology
Pneumonia, Viral* / immunology
RNA, Viral / genetics*
Respiratory System*
SARS-CoV-2

Substances

Antibodies, Viral
RNA, Viral