COVID-19 Virus Acts as Per Body's Circadian Rhythm

A team of scientists have claimed that the coronavirus might act differently depending on the time of day and the body’s circadian rhythms.

COVID-19 virus shedding—when infected cells release infectious virus particles into the blood and mucus—appears to be more active in the middle of the day due to change of the immune system by body's biological clock.

“Taking a COVID-19 test at the optimal time of day improves test sensitivity and will help us to be accurate in diagnosing people who may be infected but asymptomatic,” Johnson said.

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‘The peak coronavirus shedding is seen in the afternoon, when patients are more likely to interact with others or seek medical care. This could play a vital role in enhancing the spread of the virus in hospitals.’
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Their results indicate that viral load is lower after 8 p.m. If people choose to get tested at that time, there could be a higher chance of a false-negative result.

False negatives can be harmful to the community and for the patient, who might not seek additional care due to their negative test result.

The peak shedding is in the afternoon, when patients are more likely to interact with others or seek medical care, could play a role in increasing the spread of the virus in hospitals and the wider community.

More studies are needed to confirm the diurnal—meaning active during the day—nature of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Testing patients who are infected with COVID-19 to see if individuals shed the virus differently throughout the day would have important public health implications, Johnson said.

Johnson and his co-authors hope this early research can be used to optimize COVID-19 testing and improve test accuracy. The researchers believe temporal considerations may be leveraged to maximize the effectiveness of intervention strategies and even vaccine strategies.

Source-Medindia