Table 1. Comparison of patients and clinical respiratory specimens that were positive or negative by culture for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and duration of illness for patients with mild coronavirus disease, Hong Kong*.
| Characteristic | Culture positive, n = 16 | Culture negative, n = 52 | Total, n = 68 | Statistical significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patients, n = 35 | ||||
| Asymptomatic | 1 | 2 | 3 | ND |
| Median age (range), y | 39 (21–73) | 38 (17–75) | 38 | ND |
| Concurrent condition |
5 |
4 |
9 |
ND |
| Clinical specimens | ||||
| Median log10 viral load/mL†, n = 68 |
7.5 |
3.8 |
|
p<0.0001 by Mann- Whitney test |
| Viral load log10, range, n = 68 | ||||
| 7.0–9.5 | 12 (75) | 5 (10) | 17 (25) | p = 0.018 by Fisher exact test |
| 6.0–6.99 | 3 (19) | 8 (15) | 11 (16) | |
| 5.0–5.99 | 1 (6) | 6 (12) | 7 (10) | |
| <5.0 |
0 |
33 (63) |
33 (49) |
|
| Days after onset of illness when sample was collected, n = 68 | ||||
| 1–2 | 8 (53) | 7 (13) | 15 (22) | p = 0.00001 by Fisher exact test |
| 3–8 | 8 (35) | 15 (29) | 23 (34) | |
| 9–67 |
0 |
30‡ (58) |
30 (44) |
|
| Days after onset of illness when sample was collected from patients without or before antiviral treatment, n = 42 | ||||
| 1–2 | 8 (50) | 7 (27) | 15 (36) | p = 0.01 by Fisher exact test |
| 3–8 | 8 (50) | 9 (35) | 17 (40) | |
| 9–67 | 0 | 10 (38) | 10 (24) | |
*Values are no. (%) patients unless indicated otherwise. ND, not determined. †Viral load below limit of detection for the assay was scored as 1 log10/mL. ‡Six of these patients were readmissions because of detection of virus RNA after discharge from isolation.