J Med Virol. 2022 Feb 24. doi: 10.1002/jmv.27677. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
In the current study, the relationship between viral load, demographic characteristics, and disease information in 1007(48.5%) patients with Delta variant (B.1.617.2), and 1070 (51.5%) patients with Alpha variant (B1.1.7) mutations was investigated. We found that there was a significant difference in viral load between patients who died from the Alpha variant and those who were discharged (p<0.05). Nevertheless, no significant difference was observed in patients with Delta variant. The viral load in patients who died from the Alpha variant was significantly higher than those who were discharged (p<0.05). The viral load was found to be higher in females in patients with Delta variant, whereas it was very close in males and females in patients with Alpha variant (p>0.05). No significant difference was detected between the cycle threshold values (Ct) and disease severity. In terms of the mean Ct values, statistical differences were observed in patients with Delta and Alpha variant. The Alpha variant was found to have a higher viral load than the Delta variant. Furthermore, Delta variant was found to be higher in the 40-year-old and under-age group than in the Alpha variant, whereas the Alpha variant was higher in the 40-year-old and older group. While the rate of moderate and severe patients in Alpha variant was found to be higher, the rate of mild survivors was found to be higher in Delta variant. In conclusion, The increase in vaccination prior to the appearance of the Delta variant in our region may have influenced the viral load and clinical status of the patients. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
PMID:35212012 | DOI:10.1002/jmv.27677