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While household members most often became infected, the viral load "was the most important factor in determining whether transmission occurred between a case and their contacts," said coauthor Michael Marks of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

COVID SCIENCE UPDATE

Viral load most important factor in COVID-19 transmission - study

Published February 06, 2021 04:44 AM By NANCY LAPID Reuters

The amount of virus in the noses and throats of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients is the most important factor in determining whether they will infect others, according to a report published on Tuesday in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

Researchers in Spain studied 282 patients and 753 of their recent close contacts.

While household members most often became infected

, the viral load "was the most important factor in determining whether transmission occurred between a case and their contacts," said coauthor Michael Marks of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

"Whether the case was coughing or had other symptoms didn't seem to play a major role," he said, reinforcing that even patients without symptoms need to isolate themselves.

He said health authorities might want to consider more enhanced contact tracing for individuals with higher viral loads.

A separate study by UK researchers, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, reported similar findings. -- Reuters

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