Frontiers in Medicine (Jun 2021)
SARS-CoV-2 Viral Shedding and Transmission Dynamics: Implications of WHO COVID-19 Discharge Guidelines
- Kingsley Badu,
- Kingsley Badu,
- Kolapo Oyebola,
- Kolapo Oyebola,
- Kolapo Oyebola,
- Julien Z. B. Zahouli,
- Julien Z. B. Zahouli,
- Julien Z. B. Zahouli,
- Adeniyi Francis Fagbamigbe,
- Adeniyi Francis Fagbamigbe,
- Adeniyi Francis Fagbamigbe,
- Dziedzom K. de Souza,
- Dziedzom K. de Souza,
- Natisha Dukhi,
- Natisha Dukhi,
- Natisha Dukhi,
- Ebenezer F. Amankwaa,
- Ebenezer F. Amankwaa,
- Mai F. Tolba,
- Mai F. Tolba,
- Mai F. Tolba,
- Mai F. Tolba,
- Augustina A. Sylverken,
- Augustina A. Sylverken,
- Augustina A. Sylverken,
- Lydia Mosi,
- Lydia Mosi,
- Lydia Mosi,
- Priscilla Kolibea Mante,
- Priscilla Kolibea Mante,
- Damaris Matoke-Muhia,
- Damaris Matoke-Muhia,
- Nowsheen Goonoo,
- Nowsheen Goonoo
Affiliations
- Kingsley Badu
- African Academy of Sciences Affiliates, Nairobi, Kenya
- Kingsley Badu
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
- Kolapo Oyebola
- African Academy of Sciences Affiliates, Nairobi, Kenya
- Kolapo Oyebola
- Biochemistry and Nutrition Department, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Lagos, Nigeria
- Kolapo Oyebola
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria
- Julien Z. B. Zahouli
- African Academy of Sciences Affiliates, Nairobi, Kenya
- Julien Z. B. Zahouli
- Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d'Ivoire, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
- Julien Z. B. Zahouli
- Centre d'Entomologie Médicale et Vétérinaire, Université Alassane Ouattara, Bouaké, Côte d'Ivoire
- Adeniyi Francis Fagbamigbe
- African Academy of Sciences Affiliates, Nairobi, Kenya
- Adeniyi Francis Fagbamigbe
- Department of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Faculty of Public Health, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
- Adeniyi Francis Fagbamigbe
- Division of Population and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, St. Andrews University, St. Andrews, United Kingdom
- Dziedzom K. de Souza
- African Academy of Sciences Affiliates, Nairobi, Kenya
- Dziedzom K. de Souza
- College of Health Sciences, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- Natisha Dukhi
- African Academy of Sciences Affiliates, Nairobi, Kenya
- Natisha Dukhi
- College of Health Sciences, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- Natisha Dukhi
- 0Human and Social Capabilities Division, Human Sciences Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
- Ebenezer F. Amankwaa
- African Academy of Sciences Affiliates, Nairobi, Kenya
- Ebenezer F. Amankwaa
- 1Department of Geography and Resource Development, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- Mai F. Tolba
- African Academy of Sciences Affiliates, Nairobi, Kenya
- Mai F. Tolba
- 2Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
- Mai F. Tolba
- 3The Center of Drug Discovery Research and Development, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
- Mai F. Tolba
- 4School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire Hosted by Global Academic Foundation, New Administrative Capital, Egypt
- Augustina A. Sylverken
- African Academy of Sciences Affiliates, Nairobi, Kenya
- Augustina A. Sylverken
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
- Augustina A. Sylverken
- 5Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
- Lydia Mosi
- African Academy of Sciences Affiliates, Nairobi, Kenya
- Lydia Mosi
- 6West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Diseases, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- Lydia Mosi
- 7Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- Priscilla Kolibea Mante
- African Academy of Sciences Affiliates, Nairobi, Kenya
- Priscilla Kolibea Mante
- 8Department of Pharmacology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
- Damaris Matoke-Muhia
- African Academy of Sciences Affiliates, Nairobi, Kenya
- Damaris Matoke-Muhia
- 9Centre for Biotechnology Research and Development, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya
- Nowsheen Goonoo
- African Academy of Sciences Affiliates, Nairobi, Kenya
- Nowsheen Goonoo
- 0Biomaterials, Drug Delivery and Nanotechnology Unit, Center for Biomedical and Biomaterials Research (CBBR), University of Mauritius, Reduit, Mauritius
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2021.648660
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 8
Abstract
The evolving nature of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has necessitated periodic revisions of COVID-19 patient treatment and discharge guidelines. Since the identification of the first COVID-19 cases in November 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) has played a crucial role in tackling the country-level pandemic preparedness and patient management protocols. Among others, the WHO provided a guideline on the clinical management of COVID-19 patients according to which patients can be released from isolation centers on the 10th day following clinical symptom manifestation, with a minimum of 72 additional hours following the resolution of symptoms. However, emerging direct evidence indicating the possibility of viral shedding 14 days after the onset of symptoms called for evaluation of the current WHO discharge recommendations. In this review article, we carried out comprehensive literature analysis of viral shedding with specific focus on the duration of viral shedding and infectivity in asymptomatic and symptomatic (mild, moderate, and severe forms) COVID-19 patients. Our literature search indicates that even though, there are specific instances where the current protocols may not be applicable ( such as in immune-compromised patients there is no strong evidence to contradict the current WHO discharge criteria.
Keywords
