Emerging Infectious Diseases (Jan 2022)

Postmortem Antigen-Detecting Rapid Diagnostic Tests to Predict Infectivity of SARS-CoV-2–Associated Deaths

  • Fabian Heinrich,
  • Ann Sophie Schröder,
  • Anna-Lina Gerberding,
  • Moritz Gerling,
  • Felicia Langenwalder,
  • Philine Lange,
  • Axel Heinemann,
  • Eric Bibiza-Freiwald,
  • Dominik Sebastian Nörz,
  • Martin Aepfelbacher,
  • Susanne Pfefferle,
  • Benjamin Ondruschka,
  • Marc Lütgehetmann

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2801.211749
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 28, no. 1
pp. 244 – 247

Abstract

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We investigated the infectivity of 128 severe acute respiratory disease coronavirus 2–associated deaths and evaluated predictive values of standard diagnostic procedures. Maintained infectivity (20%) did not correlate with viral RNA loads but correlated well with anti-S antibody levels. Sensitivity >90% for antigen-detecting rapid diagnostic tests supports their usefulness for assessment.

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