Frequency, Dynamics, and Duration of Faecal Shedding in SARS-CoV-2 Infected Individuals, a Scoping Review

To estimate illness incidence or prevalence from wastewater data, modelling approaches may benefit from incorporating faecal shedding parameters.We systematically searched PubMed and a public repository on shedding data and included 33 studies that met at least one of our objectives.Among 32 studies, the proportion of SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals with detectable virus in stool ranged from 18-100%, with a pooled estimate of 54% (95% CI: 52-56%).Stratification by four clinical severity categories, ranging from asymptomatic to critically ill, showed no significant differences among categories (p-value = 0.49).The proportion of individuals with detectable SARS-CoV-2 RNA in stool https://doi.org/10.1017/S0950268826101241Published online by Cambridge University Press was higher in children (61%) than in adults (53%; p-value = 0.02).In half of the individuals who initially shed the virus in stool, it remained detectable for an estimated 22 days post-symptom onset.Three studies documented viral load kinetics, indicating a peak between days 3 and 9. Twenty-five studies reported maximum shedding durations ranging from 2 to 12 weeks.Our review summarizes of the frequency, dynamics, and duration of SARS-CoV-2 shedding in stool and may serve as a valuable foundation for modeling efforts involving faecal shedding indicators.