New study suggests SARS-CoV-2 antigen levels linked to patient outcomes

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- The amount of SARS-CoV-2 antigen measured in the blood of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 is associated with illness severity and other clinical outcomes, according to a new study published Tuesday.

Researchers from the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and their collaborators analyzed levels of SARS-CoV-2 antigen in blood samples taken from participants in a trial between August 2020 and November 2021, and assessed the association of those levels with disease progression.

Higher levels of viral antigen in the blood, which could indicate ongoing SARS-CoV-2 replication, correlated with more severe disease, according to the study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

The authors suggest that SARS-CoV-2 antigen levels hold promise as a biomarker, or a measurable substance, to predict which patients hospitalized with COVID-19 have a higher risk of worse outcomes.