Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is not detected in the vagina: A prospective study

PLoS One. 2021 Sep 30;16(9):e0253072. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0253072. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

Objective: To determine whether severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is present in the vagina of women diagnosed with coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pneumonia.

Study design: The study was conducted prospectively in a university affiliated hospital. Forty-one women of reproductive age whose nasopharyngeal PCR test were positive for SARS-CoV-2 and clinically diagnosed with pneumonia were included in the study. Vaginal swabs were obtained for SARS-CoV-2 PCR tests when the patients were admitted to the inpatient service before pneumonia treatment was initiated.

Results: Vaginal swab samples of 38 patients were analysed with SARS-CoV-2 PCR tests. None of the vaginal swabs were positive for SARS-CoV-2.

Conclusions: SARS-CoV-2 does not infect the vagina of women diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • COVID-19 / diagnosis*
  • COVID-19 Nucleic Acid Testing
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Prospective Studies
  • SARS-CoV-2 / isolation & purification*
  • Vagina / virology*

Grants and funding

The author(s) received no specific funding for this work.