Coronavirus Disease 2019 Patients in Earlier Stages Exhaled Millions of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Per Hour

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients exhaled millions of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 RNA copies per hour, which plays an important role in COVID-19 transmission. Exhaled breath had a higher positive rate (26.9%, n = 52) than surface (5.4%, n = 242) and air (3.8%, n = 26) samples.

Automated summary

COVID-19 patients exhale millions of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 RNA copies per hour, which is crucial in the transmission of the disease. Exhaled breath has a higher positivity rate compared to surface and air samples, indicating its potential role in spreading the virus.