ABSTRACT

Introduction: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged as a novel viral agent that quickly spread worldwide. SARS-CoV-2 is responsible for the human coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) which has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and had an immeasurable toll on the economy. Currently, most clinical cases are identified by qualitative molecular testing. However, the need for quantitative assessment is gaining traction.

Areas covered: In this review, the current state and future perspective of SARS-CoV-2 viral load quantification is presented.

Expert opinion: Viral load quantification is a critical measure that informs clinicians of treatment response, actionable viral load levels, and guidance on patient management. Additionally, for pathogens with epidemiological consequences, viral load can provide information to guide infection control measures and policies. While qualitative detection is sufficient to identify cases and initiate containment and mitigation measures in the vast majority of COVID-19 cases, in certain situations, SARS-CoV-2 quantification is needed to assess viral load trending. However, there are obstacles to quantification, including variability in respiratory specimen collection and the lack of commutable reference material. At the same time, the need for quantification for clinical and epidemiological management is growing, especially concerning individuals with prolonged RNA shedding.

摘要

简介：严重急性呼吸系统综合症冠状病毒-2 (SARS-CoV-2) 作为一种新型病毒剂出现，并迅速在全球传播。SARS-CoV-2 是 2019 年人类冠状病毒病 (COVID-19) 的罪魁祸首，该病已夺去数十万人的生命并对经济造成不可估量的损失。目前，大多数临床病例是通过定性分子检测来确定的。然而，对定量评估的需求越来越受到关注。

涵盖的领域：在这篇综述中，介绍了 SARS-CoV-2 病毒载量量化的现状和未来前景。

专家意见：病毒载量量化是一项关键措施，可告知临床医生治疗反应、可操作的病毒载量水平和患者管理指导。此外，对于具有流行病学后果的病原体，病毒载量可以提供指导感染控制措施和政策的信息。虽然定性检测足以在绝大多数 COVID-19 病例中识别病例并启动遏制和缓解措施，但在某些情况下，需要对 SARS-CoV-2 进行量化来评估病毒载量趋势。然而，量化存在障碍，包括呼吸道标本采集的可变性和缺乏可互换的参考材料。与此同时，对临床和流行病学管理的量化需求正在增长，