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Coronavirus scare: COVID-19 infection can spread even after symptoms disappear

Coronavirus scare: COVID-19 infection can spread even after symptoms disappear
A new study found that many patients kept shedding the virus even after resolution of their symptoms

A new study suggested that the coronavirus patients who have been cured of the disease must remain in the quarantine for some time. Read to know why.

Written by Longjam Dineshwori |Published : March 30, 2020 1:29 PM IST

.According to the union health ministry website, 99 coronavirus patients have been cured of the disease and discharged. But are they totally cleared of the virus? May be not.

A new study has warned that COVID-19 infection may spread even after the symptoms of the disease disappear. The researchers said that some of the coronavirus patients who do not have the symptoms may still transmit the infection. Hence, they suggested that the people who have cured of the disease must also remain in the quarantine for some time.

Patients shed coronavirus even after recovery

People who had mild coronavirus infection should extend their quarantine for another two weeks after recovery to prevent spreading the infection said researchers.

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For the new study, the researchers took throat swab samples from the discharged patients. They were discharged after their recovery and confirmation of negative viral status. The patients were admitted at the Chinese PLA General Hospital in Beijing. They all had mild coronavirus infection and all of them had primary symptoms like fever, cough, pain in the pharynx and difficulty breathing.

The researchers used two consecutive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests to evaluate the samples. It was found that half of the patients kept shedding the virus even after resolution of their symptoms. More severe infections may have even longer shedding times suggested Dr Lokesh Sharma, department of medicine, Yale School of Medicine.

Extent quarantine days even after recovery

Those you had mild respiratory symptoms from Covid-19 were advised to stay at home to avoid infection to other people. But the new study suggested that there is possibility of transmission of the COVID -19 infection even after the symptoms disappear. As a result, the researchers suggested that COVID-19 patients should extend their quarantine for another two weeks after recovery to ensure that they don't infect other people.

The findings from the study were published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine on Friday. However, the researchers noted that the findings may vary for the patients of different age group. The average age of examined patients in this study was 35.5 years.

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