Abstract
Knowledge about contagiousness is key to accurate management of hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Epidemiological studies suggest that in addition to transmission through droplets, aerogenic SARS-CoV-2 transmission contributes to the spread of infection. However, the presence of virus in exhaled air has not yet been sufficiently demonstrated. In pandemic situations low-tech disposable and user-friendly bedside devices are required, while commercially available samplers are unsuitable for application in patients with respiratory distress. We included 49 hospitalized COVID-19 patients and used a disposable modular breath sampler to measure SARS-CoV-2 RNA load in exhaled air samples and compared these SARS-CoV-2 RNA load of combined nasopharyngeal throat swabs and saliva. Exhaled air sampling using the modular breath sampler has proven to be feasible in a clinical COVID-19 setting and demonstrated viral detection in 25% of the patients (Figure 1).
Figure 1. SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection in exhaled air samples and nasopharyngeal throat swab samples. Filled dots (●) represent cases in which SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in exhaled air samples. Open dots (○) represent cases in which SARS-CoV-2 RNA was not detected.
Footnotes
Cite this article as Eur Respir J 2022; 60: Suppl. 66, 4432.
This article was presented at the 2022 ERS International Congress, in session “-”.
This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).
- Copyright ©the authors 2022
