All this means: The findings come with the caveat that they were obtained from a small pool of volunteers and have yet to be published in a preprint article that has not been peer-reviewed. However, they still provide useful information. The fact that people become contagious so quickly and remain contagious for so long suggests that recommended isolation times should be kept around ten days. Although the virus was first detected in the throat, it was eventually present at much higher levels in the nose, emphasizing the need to properly wear face masks to cover the nose.
Get tested: Research also supports the regular and widespread use of the lateral flow test. Modeling using study data can significantly cut community transmission, that regular rapid testing can diagnose infection before 70-80% of infectious virus occurs, meaning people are tested regularly and isolated when positive. The fact that none of the participants became seriously ill also suggests that this trial method could be used to test future variants or drugs.
Dr Sir Michael Jacobs, infectious diseases consultant at the Royal Free London hospital where the trial took place, said in a statement: “To open a new way to study infection and immune responses to it in detail, and to help test new vaccines and treatments.”
