Clinical features and dynamics of viral load in imported and non-imported patients with COVID-19

Abstract Objectives To compare the clinical characteristics and the dynamics of viral load between the imported and non-imported patients with COVID-19. Design and methods Data from 51 laboratory-confirmed patients were retrospectively analyzed. Results The incubation period in the tertiary group was longer than that in the imported and secondary groups (both P   0.05). For the tertiary group, the viral load was undetectable for half of the patients (52.63%) on day 7, and all patients on day 14. For 1/3rd of the patients in the imported and secondary groups, the viral load remained positive on day 14 after the admission. Conclusions COVID-19 can present as pneumonia with less onset of symptoms, and the infectivity of SARS-CoV2 may gradually decrease in the tertiary patients.