Identification of the contagion risk among recovered as well as deceased COVID-19 patients

The purpose of the project is to examine for how long the SARS-CoV-2 virus remains contagious after the infection symptoms have stopped. Currently, a safety margin of 48 hours after cessation of the symptoms is being applied, but we actually do not know if this is sufficient. Moreover, there is uncertainty about the extent to which and for how long COVID-19 is transmissible from deceased persons, which is particularly relevant for personnel handling the deceased. In this project, tests will be carried out where fresh samples from living as well as deceased COVID-19 patients are transferred to lab-grown human cells. By observing the cells and taking measurements, it can be established whether the samples contain a transmissible virus. The expectation is that the project will give a more precise picture of the contagion risk in connection with this virus, and thus contribute to formulating effective guidelines for reducing the spread of the disease.