Different effects of vaccine on VST in critical and non-critical COVID-19 patients: A retrospective study of 363 cases

Aim: To explore the risk factors of prolonged viral shedding time (VST) in critical/non-critical COVID-19 patients during hospitalization. Methods: In this retrospective study, we enrolled 363 patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection admitted in a designated hospital during the COVID-19 outbreak in Nanjing Lukou International Airport. Patients were divided into critical (n = 54) and non-critical (n = 309) groups. We analyzed the relationship between the VST and demographics, clinical characteristics, medications, and vaccination histories, respectively. Results: The median duration of VST was 24 d (IQR, 20–29) of all patients. The VST of critical cases was longer than non-critical cases (27 d, IQR, 22.0–30.0 vs. 23 d, IQR 20–28, P