open access

Vol 92, No 6 (2021)
Research paper
Published online: 2021-03-10
Get Citation

Evaluation of the presence of SARS-COV-2 in the vaginal fluid of reproductive-aged women

Hilal Uslu Yuvacı1, Mehmet Musa Aslan1, Osman Köse1, Nermin Akdemir1, Hande Toptan2, Arif Serhan Cevrioğlu1, Mustafa Altındiş2, Mehmet Köroğlu2
·
Ginekol Pol 2021;92(6):406-409.
Affiliations
  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sakarya Training and Research Hospital, Sakarya, Turkey
  2. Department of Microbiology, Sakarya Training and Research Hospital, Sakarya, Turkey

open access

Vol 92, No 6 (2021)
ORIGINAL PAPERS Gynecology
Published online: 2021-03-10

Abstract

Objectives: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is mainly transmitted through respiration and direct contact. The status of the infection in the female genital system is still unknown. The study aimed to evaluate whether SARS-CoV-2 is present in the vaginal fluid of women with COVID-19 infection in reproductive period.
Material and methods: Women who were between the ages of 18–50 years and clinically confirmed to have COVID-19 infection at our hospital between 20 April–31 May 2020 were included in the study. Women who were in their menstrual cycle during the study and who had a known cervical intraepithelial lesion and/or cancer, sexually transmitted disease and history and/or symptoms of vaginitis were excluded from the study. In patients in whom no pathology was detected during the examination, a sample was taken from the vaginal fluid for PCR by using Dacron tip swab. Analysis was performed with Genesig Real-Time PCR COVID-19 kit (Primer Design, England).
Results: Eighteen women who were in reproductive period and diagnosed with severe COVID-19 pneumonia were included in the study. The mean age of the patients was 38.16 ± 8.54. None of the patients were in their menopause period. The clinical symptoms of these women were similar to those of confirmed severe COVID-19 cases. SARS-CoV-2 was found to be negative in the samples taken from the vaginal fluid in all patients.
Conclusions: SARS-CoV-2 virus was not detected in the vaginal fluid of the patients who tested positive for COVID-19 in reproductive period.

Abstract

Objectives: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is mainly transmitted through respiration and direct contact. The status of the infection in the female genital system is still unknown. The study aimed to evaluate whether SARS-CoV-2 is present in the vaginal fluid of women with COVID-19 infection in reproductive period.
Material and methods: Women who were between the ages of 18–50 years and clinically confirmed to have COVID-19 infection at our hospital between 20 April–31 May 2020 were included in the study. Women who were in their menstrual cycle during the study and who had a known cervical intraepithelial lesion and/or cancer, sexually transmitted disease and history and/or symptoms of vaginitis were excluded from the study. In patients in whom no pathology was detected during the examination, a sample was taken from the vaginal fluid for PCR by using Dacron tip swab. Analysis was performed with Genesig Real-Time PCR COVID-19 kit (Primer Design, England).
Results: Eighteen women who were in reproductive period and diagnosed with severe COVID-19 pneumonia were included in the study. The mean age of the patients was 38.16 ± 8.54. None of the patients were in their menopause period. The clinical symptoms of these women were similar to those of confirmed severe COVID-19 cases. SARS-CoV-2 was found to be negative in the samples taken from the vaginal fluid in all patients.
Conclusions: SARS-CoV-2 virus was not detected in the vaginal fluid of the patients who tested positive for COVID-19 in reproductive period.

Get Citation

Keywords

coronavirus; SARS-CoV-2; vaginal fluid

About this article
Title

Evaluation of the presence of SARS-COV-2 in the vaginal fluid of reproductive-aged women

Journal

Ginekologia Polska

Issue

Vol 92, No 6 (2021)

Article type

Research paper

Pages

406-409

Published online

2021-03-10

Page views

1180

Article views/downloads

1545

DOI

10.5603/GP.a2021.0018

Bibliographic record

Ginekol Pol 2021;92(6):406-409.

Keywords

coronavirus
SARS-CoV-2
vaginal fluid

Authors

Hilal Uslu Yuvacı
Mehmet Musa Aslan
Osman Köse
Nermin Akdemir
Hande Toptan
Arif Serhan Cevrioğlu
Mustafa Altındiş
Mehmet Köroğlu

References (11)
  1. Chan JW, Yuan S, Kok KH, et al. A familial cluster of pneumonia associated with the 2019 novel coronavirus indicating person-to-person transmission: a study of a family cluster. The Lancet. 2020; 395(10223): 514–523.
  2. Zhu Na, Zhang D, Wang W, et al. China Novel Coronavirus Investigating and Research Team. A Novel Coronavirus from Patients with Pneumonia in China, 2019. N Engl J Med. 2020; 382(8): 727–733.
  3. Harapan H, Itoh N, Yufika A, et al. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): A literature review. J Infect Public Health. 2020; 13(5): 667–673.
  4. Qiu L, Liu X, Xiao M, et al. SARS-CoV-2 Is Not Detectable in the Vaginal Fluid of Women With Severe COVID-19 Infection. Clin Infect Dis. 2020; 71(15): 813–817.
  5. Aslan MM, Uslu Yuvacı H, Köse O, et al. SARS-CoV-2 is not present in the vaginal fluid of pregnant women with COVID-19. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2020 [Epub ahead of print]: 1–3.
  6. Cui P, Chen Z, Wang T, et al. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 detection in the female lower genital tract. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2020; 223(1): 131–134.
  7. Sturdee DW, Panay N. International Menopause Society Writing Group. Recommendations for the management of postmenopausal vaginal atrophy. Climacteric. 2010; 13(6): 509–522.
  8. Riordan JF. Angiotensin-I-converting enzyme and its relatives. Genome Biol. 2003; 4(8): 225.
  9. Cui P, Chen Z, Wang T, et al. Clinical features and sexual transmission potential of SARS-CoV-2 infected female patients: a descriptive study in Wuhan, China. .
  10. Peng L, Liu J, Xu W, et al. SARS-CoV-2 can be detected in urine, blood, anal swabs, and oropharyngeal swabs specimens. J Med Virol. 2020; 92(9): 1676–1680.
  11. Chen Y, Chen L, Deng Q, et al. The presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the feces of COVID-19 patients. J Med Virol. 2020; 92(7): 833–840.

Regulations

Important: This website uses cookies. More >>

The cookies allow us to identify your computer and find out details about your last visit. They remembering whether you've visited the site before, so that you remain logged in - or to help us work out how many new website visitors we get each month. Most internet browsers accept cookies automatically, but you can change the settings of your browser to erase cookies or prevent automatic acceptance if you prefer.

By VM Media Group sp. z o.o., ul. Świętokrzyska 73, 80–180 Gdańsk
tel.:+48 58 320 94 94, faks:+48 58 320 94 60, e-mail:  viamedica@viamedica.pl