COVID-19 Detection Tests in Different Body Fluids

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) as a pandemic on
March 11, 2020. Due to the rapid spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus
2 virus (SARS-CoV-2), we are currently facing an unprecedented global situation. One of the
main pillars in the control of an epidemic is the performance of large-scale tests providing
a quick and accurate diagnosis so that the authorities can take timely action. Therefore,
tests for COVID-19 should be prompt, widely available, and implemented outside the hospital
environment, to avoid overloading the health system and decreasing the risks of hospital
transmission to other patients and health professionals. Although universal testing is a
cornerstone for reducing the burden of COVID-19, the accuracy of the commercially available
tests for COVID-19 in Brazil remains uncertain. In addition, the natural history of the
disease in the different organs and tissues is not unquestionably known, nor because the
virus develops better in some tissues and not others. There are still many unanswered
questions regarding COVID-19. allow more accurate knowledge of the natural history of the
disease in the timeline taking into account the acute and long-term phases. Several families
of viruses can affect the male genitourinary system, as is the case of the Zika (ZKV) and
Ebola viruses. There are reports that in young patients infected with ZKV, the virus persists
in semen for up to 6 months after the symptomatic condition. The other SARS-CoV-1 itself was
detected in human testicles associated with an inflammatory process (orchiepididymitis),
suggesting the possibility that these viruses could also be detected in the semen. As
SARS-CoV-1 was able to overcome the hemato-gestural barrier and induce severe testicular
damage in the previous outbreak, it is possible that men infected with COVID-19 may also have
testicular damage. Another question that remains unanswered is whether the coronavirus can
remain in the body of people considered recovered from Covid-19 for an indefinite period. It
is also unknown whether there are molecules in the body fluids capable of inhibiting viral
growth. The expected benefits are related to a better understanding of COVID's natural
history19 and which body fluids can contribute to understanding the pathophysiology of the
disease. It will be possible to identify the best time and the test with the best accuracy to
diagnose the disease. It is our intention to identify substances in body fluids with an
antiviral effect