Hidetoshi Nomoto

SARS-CoV-2 Screening Test for Japanese Returnees From Wuhan, China, January 2020

Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)

Date: 20-06-2020

DOI: 10.1093/OFID/OFAA243

Abstract: Severe acute respiratory syndrome–related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was found to be the causative microorganism of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which started to spread in Wuhan, China. This study was to evaluate the effectiveness of questionnaire, symptoms-based screening, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) screening of returnees from COVID-19-endemic areas on a chartered flight, to examine the proportion of infected persons and the proportion of asymptomatic persons among infected persons who returned from Wuhan. A retrospective cohort study was done in 7 tertiary medical institutions in Japan. A total of 566 Japanese who returned from Wuhan participated in the study. Overall, 11 of the 566 passengers had a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR result for pharyngeal swabs and 6 were asymptomatic. Only fever differed between SARS-CoV-2-positive and -negative in iduals (P & .043). Six of the 11 PCR-positive in iduals were asymptomatic 4 remained positive on day 10, and 1 asymptomatic person tested positive up to day 27. Two of the 11 were negative on the first PCR test and positive on the second. Our results will be important insights on screening returnees from locked-down cities, as well as providing important data on the proportion of asymptomatic in iduals infected with SARS-CoV-2. A 13-day observation period and a second round of PCR may be effective to screen patients, including asymptomatic infections.

National Center For Global Health And Medicine

Location: Japan

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Osaka University

Location: Japan

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University Of Tokyo

Location: Japan

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Harvard Medical School Postgraduate Medical Education

Location: United States of America

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