Factors Influencing Viral Clearance in Mild COVID‐19 and Clinical Characteristics of Asymptomatic Patients

Abstract

Background . The outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) has become a global public health emergency. Objective . To evaluate the characteristics and outcomes of patients with COVID‐19 in Anhui and to identify predictors of viral clearance. Methods . We retrospectively analyzed the data collected from discharged patients with laboratory‐confirmed SARS‐CoV‐2 infections. We compared clinical features between viral clearance and viral persistence, and evaluated factors associated with SARS‐CoV‐2 shedding using multiple linear regression. Results . Among the 83 patients involved in the study, the median age was 43 years, while 60.2% were male, 35.4% had comorbidities, and the mortality was zero. The median time from illness onset to admission was 5 days (interquartile range (IQR), 2‐7 days), and the median time from the illness onset to SARS‐CoV‐2 RNA detection was 16 days (IQR, 13‐18 days). The factors influencing viral clearance were as follows: (1) delayed admission (beta 1.057, 95% CI 0.810‐1.304; p ≤ 0.001) and (2) underlying comorbidities (beta 1.907, 95% CI 0.198‐3.616; p = 0.029). No significant differences were observed in the length of stay ( p = 0.246) and pneumonia between asymptomatic and symptomatic patients based on computed tomography (CT) ( p = 0.124). Conclusions . Delayed admission and underlying comorbidities may effectively predict SARS‐CoV‐2 RNA clearance. For those infected with SARS‐CoV‐2, even asymptomatic patients without any clinical symptoms should be traced and isolated. This practice may reduce the spread of SARS‐CoV‐2 and slow the COVID‐19 pandemic caused by the virus. Clinical Trial Registration Number : This trial is registered with 2020‐051.