SARS-CoV-2 is not detectable in cervicovaginal secretions from women with active COVID-19 infection- a pilot study

OBJECTIVE: To detect the shedding of SARS-CoV-2 in cervicovaginal secretions of women with active COVID 19 infection. METHODS: A cross-sectional study from a COVID facility including women aged 20-45 years with active COVID-19 infection, cervicovaginal secretions were collected from cervix and posterior fornix using dacron swab within 7 days of symptom onset or 5 days of nasopharyngeal rRT-PCR test positivity in asymptomatic women. Cervicovaginal samples of women with mild symptoms were tested using rRT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2. RESULTS: SARS-CoV-2 was not detected in cervicovaginal secretions of any of the 11 women included in the study. CONCLUSIONS: SARS-CoV-2 does not shed in the cervicovaginal secretions of women with mild COVID 19 infection, ruling out sexual and vertical transmission of virus in mild and asymptomatic disease.