Use of exhaled breath condensate (EBC) in the diagnosis of SARS-COV-2 (COVID-19)

Thorax. 2021 Jan;76(1):86-88. doi: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2020-215705. Epub 2020 Oct 23.

Abstract

False negatives from nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) using reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) in SARS-CoV-2 are high. Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) contains lower respiratory droplets that may improve detection. We performed EBC RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 genes (E, S, N, ORF1ab) on NPS-positive (n=16) and NPS-negative/clinically positive COVID-19 patients (n=15) using two commercial assays. EBC detected SARS-CoV-2 in 93.5% (29/31) using the four genes. Pre-SARS-CoV-2 era controls (n=14) were negative. EBC was positive in NPS negative/clinically positive patients in 66.6% (10/15) using the identical E and S (E/S) gene assay used for NPS, 73.3% (11/15) using the N/ORF1ab assay and 14/15 (93.3%) combined.

Keywords: exhaled airway markers; respiratory infection; viral infection.

Publication types

  • Observational Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Breath Tests / methods*
  • COVID-19 / diagnosis*
  • COVID-19 / epidemiology
  • COVID-19 Testing / methods*
  • Exhalation*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Prospective Studies
  • RNA, Viral / analysis*
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • SARS-CoV-2 / genetics*

Substances

  • RNA, Viral