Are Healthy, Social Women Coronavirus Super Spreaders?

A team of researchers from Baylor College of Medicine detected a small group of individuals with extremely high SARS-CoV-2 virus viral load could be classified as 'Super-Spreaders.' Published on February 15, 2021, in the Journal of Infectious Diseases, this study found this population was more likely to be women, outpatients, symptomatic and have an extremely high or high viral load.

The study describes the first two waves of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Houston, Texas. The researchers observed an increase in the weekly median viral load that predated each wave's onset by approximately two weeks. The overall phenotype seen in the second pandemic wave shifted to women with no reported comorbidity who were overrepresented in the extremely high or high viral load groups.

These researchers concluded, 'It is apparent that extremely high viral loads do not translate to COVID-19 severity.'

'The duration of the high viral load and the mild nature of the illness suggest many individuals go undiagnosed. We suggest a greater awareness of these individuals' social dynamics is needed to understand their potential as super-spreaders of SARS-CoV-2.'

This study was supported through internal funding from Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX. The authors declared no conflict of interest.