The countries of the world are living in the third wave of the Coronavirus in light of the high number of infections, so focus is placed on testing more people to confirm the presence of the virus and the severity of the infection and to prevent its further spread.
Experts said that the most reliable way to detect the presence of the Corona virus and the mutant strains is to perform an RT-PCR test (polymerase chain reaction) as well as the viral load, which determines the severity of infection and the risk of its transmission, in this report we learn about the viral load and what the meaning of its height when infected with Corona.
What is viral load?
According to the "Times of India" website, once the coronavirus enters the blood, it begins to proliferate inside cells and infect more cells.
Viral load refers to the amount of genetic material, usually RNA, of a virus present in the blood of an infected person. This is expressed as the total number of viral particles present in each milliliter of blood. A higher viral load in the blood means that the virus is reproducing and that the infection develops.
Many tests are performed over a long period of time, with the initial viral load measured as a baseline for understanding the progression of the infection, because the viral load can vary every day and continuous monitoring is the best option available.
Corona viral load
SARS-CoV-2 is a member of the upper respiratory tract coronavirus. But unlike SARS infection, the viral load of the new strain of the virus is not high in the throat, but rather prominent in the nose.
The highest viral load appears during the first week of infection with the appearance of symptoms, this also indicates that the risk of infection with the Coronavirus is higher in the first days and appropriate measures must be taken to limit the growth of the virus.
Viral load is also found in asymptomatic patients, which means that they are able to infect others and develop symptomatic Corona.
Does a high viral load mean severe symptoms?
The relationship between high viral load and disease progression is a complex relationship that is the process and possibilities for detecting the presence of a virus in a new Corona patient’s case, and researchers are still trying to gather more knowledge in this case.
When it comes to disease progression and symptom severity, there are a lot of factors that play a role but based on initial knowledge of SARS, MERS and influenza, a high viral load usually leads to severe symptoms.
According to research published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, the viral load in severe cases is often 60% higher than in mild cases, which clearly indicates that as the viral load increases, the risk of developing severe symptoms is also high.
Another study revealed that there is no significant difference in viral loads across different levels of Corona severity
Are people with high viral loads more contagious?
As far as the infection rate goes, it is certain that people with a high viral load are more likely to spread the virus to others.
A person with a high viral load is likely to shed more virus particles, in a process known as "viral clearance".
When a healthy person comes into contact with such a patient, there is a high chance of getting a high enough viral dose for infection, the rate of viral load is higher in the first days of infection and decreases 5 days after the first symptoms appear.
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