Epidemiology and infection
-
During the early phase of the influenza pandemic in 2009, all cases of laboratory-confirmed pandemic (H1N1) 2009 (pH1N1) infection required compulsory isolation in hospital. These cases were offered oseltamivir treatment and only allowed to be discharged from the hospital when three consecutive respiratory specimens were negative for the virus by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). We reviewed the case records of these patients to assess the viral shedding kinetics of the pH1N1 virus. ⋯ Fifty-six patients were included in the study, of whom 96% received oseltamivir. The median viral shedding duration of pH1N1 virus by viral culture and RT-PCR were 3 days and 4 days, respectively. Patients who started oseltamivir treatment >48 h after onset had a significantly longer median viral shedding duration by viral culture than those who started treatment within 48 h of onset (4 days vs. 2 days, P=0·014).