SARS-CoV-2 viral load in the upper respiratory tract and disease severity in COVID-19 patients

Core Tip

Core Tip: Real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction is regarded as the gold standard confirmatory test for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Cycle threshold (Ct) values can be used to diagnose or forecast severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection since they are associated with virus load. Numerous differences exist in several clinical trials with small or large sample sizes, indicating a substantial positive correlation between the Ct value and disease severity in COVID-19. In this context, a literature review was conducted to address information gaps about the relationship between Ct levels and disease severity in COVID-19 patients globally. The majority of the data indicated a link between SARS-CoV-2 viral load and disease severity in these patients, and early anti-viral therapy will minimize the severity of the clinical outcomes.