Table V.
Frequency and magnitude of SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA load in stool or rectal swab samples obtained from COVID-19 patients
| Number of COVID 19 patients | Gastrointestinal symptoms | Viral RNA in stool or rectal swab samples | Viral RNA load | Additional information | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 59 | 15 with symptoms (25.4%) | 9 patients (15.3%) | 4.7 log10 cpm | 5.1 log10 cpm in patients with diarrhoea, 3.9 log10 cpm in patients without diarrhoea | [209] |
| 44 without symptoms (74.6%) | 4 patients (9.1%) | ||||
| 5 | 1 with symptoms (20%) | 2 patients (40%) | 6.2–8.1 log10 cpg | Detection on days 2–19 | [11] |
| 4 without symptoms (80%) | |||||
| 15 | Not described for the subgroup | 4 patients (26.7%) | Not described | None | [15] |
| 15 | Not described | Number of patients not described | 3.6 log10 cpm | None | [152] |
| 17 | Not described | 9 patients (52.9%) | 2.7–5.1 log10 cpm | None | [13] |
| 4 | Not described | 4 patients (100%) | 3–8 log10 cps | Virus isolation from stool samples was unsuccessful, irrespective of viral RNA concentration | [7] |
| 46 | 16 with symptoms (35%), 30 without symptoms (65%) | 2 patients (4%) | Ct values 29.9 | None | [116] |
| 38 | Not described | 8 patients (21%) | 6.5 log10 cpm | Mean; virus isolation from stool samples was unsuccessful | [117] |
| 28 | Not described | 12 patients (42.9%) | 2.8–3.5 log10 PFU equivalent per mL | Virus isolation in 2 out of 3 patients successful | [118] |
| 12 | Not described | 11 patients (92%) | 4.1–10.3 log10 cpm | Children; median RNA load in fecal samples significantly higher than for nasopharyngeal swab specimens | [119] |
cpg, copies per g; cpm, copies per mL; cps, copies per whole swab; PFU, plaque-forming units.