Evidence Summary

Of six family members who had travelled to Wuhan and presented with symptoms, five were identified as infected with the novel coronavirus [SARS-CoV-2].  Additionally, one family member, who did not travel to Wuhan, became infected with the virus after several days of contact with four of the family members. 

The two children in the family were asymptomatic, and tested negative for the novel coronavirus, although the asymptomatic 10-year-old child was found to show radiological ground-glass lung opacities. None of the family members had had contacts with Wuhan markets or animals, although two had visited a Wuhan hospital. 

All respiratory samples were negative on two point-of-care multiplex PCR systems for 18 respiratory viral and four bacterial targets. The two faecal samples from patients 3 and 4 who had preceding diarrhoea were negative on a multiplex PCR assay for common diarrhoeal viruses, bacteria, and parasites.

Five patients tested positive for genetic markers indicative of SARS-CoV-2. One additional patient was considered infected with the novel virus despite testing negative, because of clinical symptoms and radiological evidence of lung effects 

Phylogenetic analysis of these five patients’ RT-PCR amplicons and two full genomes by next-generation sequencing showed that this is a novel coronavirus [SARS-CoV-2]. Only one serum sample tested positive. All other patients’ serum, urine, and faecal samples were negative for SARS-CoV-2.