Viral shedding can precede symptoms by up to two days

1 minute read


One woman experienced the first signs of COVID-19 on the third day after a positive PCR test, researchers found.


Welcome to The Medical Republic’s COVID Catch-Up.

It’s the day’s COVID-19 news in one convenient post. Email bianca@biancanogrady.com with any tips, comments or feedback.


7 December


  • Viral shedding may occur up to two days before a SARS-CoV-2-infected person shows symptoms, according to a case series reported in Emerging Infectious Diseases.
    Researchers performed daily swabs on all household members of five households containing an individual who had already tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.
    Two of the households – which also did not take an infection-control precautions – experienced 100% secondary attack rates, while the other three households implemented measures to minimise contact with the index case and did not experience any secondary cases.
    In one case, a 33-year-old woman didn’t develop symptoms until the third day of positive RT-PCR tests. Several individuals also tested positive despite having mild or non-syndromic symptoms.
  • Here are the latest confirmed COVID-19 infection numbers from around Australia to 9pm Sunday:
    National – 27,965 with 908 deaths
    ACT – 117 (0)
    NSW – 4610 (5)
    NT – 59 (0)
    QLD – 1212 (2)
    SA – 562 (0)
    TAS – 230 (0)
    VIC – 20,345 (0)
    WA – 830 (2)

End of content

No more pages to load

Log In Register ×