A Case of COVID-19 in a 45-Day-Old Infant with Persistent Fecal Virus Shedding for More Than 12 Weeks

• Published in: Yonsei medical journal Vol. 61; no. 10; pp. 901 - 903
• Main Authors: Cho, Seung-Man, Ha, Gyoung Yim
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) Yonsei University College of Medicine 01.10.2020; 연세대학교의과대학
• Subjects: Betacoronavirus; Case Report; Coronavirus Infections - diagnosis; COVID-19; Diarrhea - etiology; Feces - virology; Fever - etiology; Humans; Infant; Male; Pandemics; Pneumonia, Viral - diagnosis; SARS-CoV-2; Virus Shedding; 의학일반; COVID-19; stool; infant; diarrhea
• ISSN: 0513-5796; 1976-2437; 1976-2437
• DOI: 10.3349/ymj.2020.61.10.901

In this report, we describe the case of a SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19) in an infant with mild fever and diarrhea in the absence of respiratory distress. A 45-day-old male infant with COVID-19 was transferred to our pediatric department. He had mild fever and diarrhea at admission. Positive-to-negative nasal swab conversion occurred on the 21st day from the onset of symptoms. However, stool swab positivity persisted during the 6-week admission period and for 7 weeks during follow-up at an outpatient clinic after discharge. Negative conversion in a stool specimen occurred on the 142nd day from the onset of symptoms. This case highlights the potential of fecal virus shedding as an important feature of viral transmission in infants and young children.