TY - JOUR AU - Leong, Hoe Nam AU - Chan, Kwai Peng AU - Khan, Ali S AU - Oon, Lynette AU - Se-Thoe, Su Yun AU - Bai, Xin Lai AU - Yeo, Daniel AU - Leo, Yee Sin AU - Ang, Brenda AU - Ksiazek, Thomas G. AU - Ling, Ai Ee T1 - Virus-specific RNA and Antibody from Convalescent-phase SARS Patients Discharged from Hospital T2 - Emerging Infectious Disease journal PY - 2004 VL - 10 IS - 10 SP - 1745 SN - 1080-6059 AB - Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is caused by a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV). In a longitudinal cross-sectional study, we determined the prevalence of virus in bodily excretions and time of seroconversion in discharged patients with SARS. Conjunctival, throat, stool, and urine specimens were collected weekly from 64 patients and tested for SARS-CoV RNA by real-time polymerase chain reaction; serum samples were collected weekly and tested for SARS-CoV antibody with indirect enzyme immunoassay and immunofluorescence assay. In total, 126 conjunctival, 124 throat swab, 116 stool, and 124 urine specimens were analyzed. Five patients had positive stool samples, collected weeks 5–9. Two patients seroconverted in weeks 7 and 8; the others were seropositive at the first serum sample collection. In this study, 5 (7.8%) of 64 patients continued to shed viral RNA in stool samples only, for up to week 8 of illness. Most seroconversions occurred by week 6 of illness. KW - SARS KW - convalescence KW - polymerase chain reaction KW - serology KW - ELISA KW - Indirect Immunofluorescence Assay KW - research KW - Singapore DO - 10.3201/eid1010.040026 UR - https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/10/10/04-0026_article ER - End of Reference