Transmission of SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Boris Bikbov
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2021)

LettersJuly 2021Transmission of SARS-CoV-2FREEBoris Bikbov, MD, PhDBoris Bikbov, MD, PhDIstituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Ranica, ItalySearch for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/L21-0164 SectionsAboutVisual AbstractPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR: The findings presented in Meyerowitz and colleagues' review (1) are extremely important. However, several notable points are now available that could update the information they provide.First, their review indicates that estimates for the basic reproductive number, or R0, of SARS-CoV-2 have ranged from 2 to 3. More recent analysis has shown much higher transmission rates, including an R0 of 5.7 in Wuhan, China (2), and 3.6 in Italy (3).Second, a recent analysis of 1178 persons infected with SARS-CoV-2 and their 15 648 close contacts from Hunan Province (4) indicates substantial heterogeneity in transmission among different age groups in different settings (such as community, household, and social) and provides important additional information.Finally, the incubation period represents one of the key variables defining transmission (as a factor that both defines presymptomatic transmission from the case patient and reflects the susceptibility of the contact person). Meyerowitz and colleagues' review only briefly discusses the incubation period, but some evidence suggests that it could be longer than 14 days in a certain proportion of persons (5).References1. Meyerowitz EA, Richterman A, Gandhi RT, et al. Transmission of SARS-CoV-2: a review of viral, host, and environmental factors. Ann Intern Med. 2021;174:69-79. [PMID: 32941052]. doi:10.7326/M20-5008 LinkGoogle Scholar2. Sanche S, Lin YT, Xu C, et al. High contagiousness and rapid spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Emerg Infect Dis. 2020;26:1470-7. [PMID: 32255761] doi:10.3201/eid2607.200282 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Gatto M, Bertuzzo E, Mari L, et al. Spread and dynamics of the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy: effects of emergency containment measures. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020;117:10484-91. [PMID: 32327608] doi:10.1073/pnas.2004978117 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Sun K, Wang W, Gao L, et al. Transmission heterogeneities, kinetics, and controllability of SARS-CoV-2. Science. 2021;371. [PMID: 33234698] doi:10.1126/science.abe2424 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Bikbov B, Bikbov A. Maximum incubation period for COVID-19 infection: do we need to rethink the 14-day quarantine policy? [Letter]. Travel Med Infect Dis. 2021 Mar-Apr;40:101976. [PMID: 33476809] doi:10.1016/j.tmaid.2021.101976 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Comments 0 Comments Sign In to Submit A Comment Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Boris Bikbov, MD, PhDAffiliations: Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Ranica, ItalyDisclosures: The author has reported no disclosures of interest. The form can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=L21-0164. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoTransmission of SARS-CoV-2: A Review of Viral, Host, and Environmental Factors Eric A. Meyerowitz , Aaron Richterman , Rajesh T. Gandhi , and Paul E. Sax Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 Eric A. Meyerowitz , Aaron Richterman , Rajesh T. Gandhi , Paul E. Sax Metrics July 2021Volume 174, Issue 7 Page: 1036-1037 Keywords Children COVID-19 Health care providers Infants Inoculation Pulmonary diseases Respiratory system Upper respiratory tract infections Viral load Viral transmission and infection ePublished: 20 July 2021 Issue Published: July 2021 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2021 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...