Absence of SARS-CoV-2 in Synovial Fluid of COVID-19 Positive Patient: A Case Report

Emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has led to the COVID-19 pandemic. The extent of spread of the virus throughout body fluids is an exposure hazard to healthcare workers. The presence of virus particles has been well established in the lung, nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal tissue. Its presence in more immunologically privileged areas such as synovial joints is not well established. We investigated a COVID-19 positive patient with knee pain and effusion. Knee synovial joint fluid PCR revealed absence of SARS-CoV-2 virus particles. We encourage further synovial fluid analysis in patients with COVID19 to give a better understanding of the virus’s tropism.