RNA-seq analysis of nasopharyngeal swabs from asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic COVID-19 patients

We used total RNA of nasopharyngeal swabs from COVID-19 patients to identify their gene expression profile. Multiple biological process were significantly enriched in either asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic patients. These significantly expressed genes were suggested to contribute to the severity of the disease. We also performed metagenomics analysis to identify differences in the microbiome profile of the two groups of patients. Overall design: Gene expression and metagenomic profile of nasopharynx tissue from 2 asymptomatic and 2 mildly symptomatic COVID-19 patients