Detecting Covid-19 virus is transmitted by new way

In addition to respiratory transmission, Chinese scientists discovered that SARS-CoV-2 virus also spreads in a new way, like SARS.  

A team of researchers from Guangzhou Medical University in China recently announced a new finding about the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 virus, which appeared in Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Accordingly, in addition to inhalation through droplets as known , the virus is also spread in the feces - mouth or feces - spread into the air.

The scientists studied stool samples from 12 patients with Covid-19 through two steps: Step 1, finding the genetic material of SARS-CoV-2 virus in stool samples; Step 2, isolate these virus samples in the laboratory.

The virus is also spread in the feces - mouth or stool - spread into the air.

The results showed that the SARS-CoV-2 viral load in fecal samples was even higher than the viral load taken from nasopharyngeal fluid if taken within the period of 17-28 days after the patient had symptoms.

The team continued to isolate 2 virus samples from 2 patients in the laboratory, resulting in a good live virus.

However, with fecal samples collected after 28 days, although viral RNA was found, the virus did not grow on culture.

Among the stool samples studied, there was a case of a 78-year-old male patient identified with Covid-19, who was hospitalized in Guangzhou from January 17 with symptoms of cough, fever, and CT detected. .

Five days later, the patient got worse, had to be on mechanical ventilation and eventually died on February 20.

During the days from January 27 to February 7, the team took four stool samples from the patient, all four detecting the RNA of SARS-CoV-2 virus in the stool. Staining under the electron microscope showed that the virus density increased sharply.

Research results demonstrate that virus in feces is a common expression of Covid-19. This feature of the corona virus was also discovered in the SARS pandemic in 2003.

At that time, hundreds of people in a residential area in Hong Kong were infected through oral feces. Specifically, one patient infected with SARS had diarrhea, then due to a problem with the sewage system, many others were infected, even the virus also spread to nearby buildings, causing a total of 329 people infected with SARS, 42 people died.

With new evidence of the transmission of Covid-19, the team warns of the need to take measures to prevent transmission according to the new path of transmission.

In hospitals, special care should be taken to disinfect surfaces after the patient is discharged or died at the hospital to prevent the virus from spreading from faeces.