In the body of people with diseases that lead to a sharp decrease in immunity, viable particles of the coronavirus can persist longer. This was announced by Natalya Pshenichnaya, deputy director for clinical and analytical work of the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology of Rospotrebnadzor, TASS reports.
According to her, in some cases, the genetic material of COVID-19 can be found in biosamples from those who have been ill - often it is a non-viable virus. Scientists have found that it can be excreted up to 90 days from the onset of the disease. It depends on the rate of renewal of the epithelium of the upper respiratory tract.
Pshenichnaya noted that the danger of such a person to others is small, but it still exists.
“In this case, special attention should be paid to people suffering from diseases leading to a sharp decrease in immunity. They can shed a viable virus for much longer than those with normal immunity,”she said.
In one scientific journal, they previously wrote about a clinical case when a woman with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and acquired hypogammaglobulinemia, a viable virus was isolated for up to 70 days. In turn, its genetic material was isolated up to 105 days after coronavirus disease.
“The question of whether there is sufficient [to infect others] the dose of viable virus secreted over time from individual convalescents with suppression of the immune response from the respiratory tract remains open,” she said.
In conclusion, she also noted that at present, the patient who has recovered is considered safe after a negative PCR test for SARS-CoV2.
Over the past day in Russia, the number of cases of coronavirus infection has increased by 22,410 to 1,971,013. Most of the infected were found in Moscow - 5882, St. Petersburg - 2130, Moscow region - 839.
RAS Academician Vitaly Zverev said in an interview with Parlamentskaya Gazeta that the infection mutates slowly and does not yet give new forms. According to him, the situation with COVID-19 will return to normal in a year.
