Coronavirus-positive Nasopharyngeal Aspirate as Predictor for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Mortality

• DOI: 10.3201/eid0911.030400
• Publication Date: 2012-05-16T17:47:50Z
• Authors: Owen Tak-Yin Tsang; Tai-Nin Chau; Kin-Wing Choi; Eugene Yuk-Keung Tso; Wilina Lim; Ming-Chi Chiu; Wing-Lok Tong; Po-Oi Lee; Bosco Hoi Shiu Lam; Tak-Keung Ng; Jak-Yiu Lai; Wai-Cho Yu; Sik-To Lai
• Keywords: Adult; Male; 0301 basic medicine; China; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; Research; R; SARS virus; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome; Communicable Diseases, Emerging; 3. Good health; coronavirus infection; Coronavirus; Nasal Mucosa; 03 medical and health sciences; Severe acute respiratory syndrome; Predictive Value of Tests; Medicine; Hong Kong; Humans; Female

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has caused a major epidemic worldwide. A novel coronavirus is deemed to be the causative agent. Early diagnosis can be made with reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of nasopharyngeal aspirate samples. We compared symptoms of 156 SARS-positive and 62 SARS-negative patients in Hong Kong; SARS was confirmed by RT-PCR. The RT-PCR-positive patients had significantly more shortness of breath, a lower lymphocyte count, and a lower lactate dehydrogenase level; they were also more likely to have bilateral and multifocal chest radiograph involvement, to be admitted to intensive care, to need mechanical ventilation, and to have higher mortality rates. By multivariate analysis, positive RT-PCR on nasopharyngeal aspirate samples was an independent predictor of death within 30 days.