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• Infectious SARS-CoV-2 remained in 55% (6/11) corpses and 43% (13/30) specimens. • The highest infectious titer was 2.09E + 06 plaque-forming units/g in corpse lung tissue. • The time from death to discovery was 0-1 day in all cases with the infectious virus. • The longest postmortem interval with virus infectivity was 13 days (12 days refrigerated). • The status of the corpse influences SARS-CoV-2 infectivity. The prolonged presence of infectious SARS-CoV-2 in deceased patients with COVID-19 has been reported. However, infectious virus titers have not been determined. Such information is important for public health, death investigation, and handling corpses. The aim of this study was to assess the level of SARS-CoV-2 infectivity in the corpses of patients with COVID-19. We collected 11 nasopharyngeal swabs and 19 lung tissue specimens from 11 autopsy cases with COVID-19 in 2021. We then investigated the viral genomic copy number by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and infectious titers by cell culture and virus isolation. Infectious virus was present in six of 11 (55%) cases, four of 11 (36%) nasopharyngeal swabs, and nine of 19 (47%) lung specimens. The virus titers ranged from 6.00E + 01 plaque-forming units/ml to 2.09E + 06 plaque-forming units/g. In all cases in which an infectious virus was found, the time from death to discovery was within 1 day and the longest postmortem interval was 13 days. The corpses of patients with COVID-19 may have high titers of infectious virus after a long postmortem interval (up to 13 days). Therefore, appropriate infection control measures must be taken when handling corpses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR)-based tests are widely used to diagnose coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). As a result that these tests cannot be done in local clinics where RT-qPCR testing capability is lacking, rapid antigen tests (RATs) for COVID-19 based on lateral flow immunoassays are used for rapid diagnosis. However, their sensitivity compared with each other and with RT-qPCR and infectious virus isolation has not been examined. Here, we compared the sensitivity among four RATs by using severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) isolates and several types of COVID-19 patient specimens and compared their sensitivity with that of RT-qPCR and infectious virus isolation. Although the RATs read the samples containing large amounts of virus as positive, even the most sensitive RAT read the samples containing small amounts of virus as negative. Moreover, all RATs tested failed to detect viral antigens in several specimens from which the virus was isolated. The current RATs will likely miss some COVID-19 patients who are shedding infectious SARS-CoV-2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the human-to-feline transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and of limited airborne transmission among cats which prompted to evaluate nasal shedding of SARS-CoV-2 from inoculated cats. It highlights the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from humans to domestic cats.