Admission SARS-CoV-2 viral load among hospitalized patients with COVID-19 independently correlates with the risk of intubation and in-hospital mortality.
7,
8 Those with
Ct values less than 25 (i.e., high viral load) had a three-fold increased risk of intubation and five to six-fold increased risk of mortality.
7,
8 Ct value has been also used to assess response to antiviral therapy.
9However, several studies have shown that nasopharyngeal SARS-CoV-2
Ct values are not associated with COVID-19 severity and do not support a predictive role for the
Ct value in the clinical setting.