Persistent positivity and fluctuations of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in clinically-recovered COVID-19 patients

Characteristics of patients with SARS-COV-2 PCR re-positivity after recovering from COVID-19

“…High levels of SARS-CoV-2 IgM in patients during quarantine and rehabilitation implied that the immune response had not subsided, and that the patient was excreting viral fragments, leading to the detection of re-positive results; thus, SARS-CoV-2 IgM in patients during quarantine and rehabilitation was positively correlated with re-positivity. Some previous studies have found that interleukin 6, lung images, age, sore throat, nasopharyngeal viral load and inefficient viral clearance were predictors of re-positivity [10,23,[26][27][28]. However, no correlation was found between age and re-positivity in our study.…”

“…Due to the large proportion of patients with a re-positive result, we recommend that the frequency of SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing of patients with COVID-19 should be increased before discharge to reduce the re-positivity rate after discharge [22]. Similar to our results, the re-positivity rate in the study by Cento et al [10] was 46.9%. However, some studies have reported lower re-positivity rates of 3-25% [23][24][25].…”

Characteristics of patients with SARS-COV-2 PCR re-positivity after recovering from COVID-19

“…High levels of SARS-CoV-2 IgM in patients during quarantine and rehabilitation implied that the immune response had not subsided, and that the patient was excreting viral fragments, leading to the detection of re-positive results; thus, SARS-CoV-2 IgM in patients during quarantine and rehabilitation was positively correlated with re-positivity. Some previous studies have found that interleukin 6, lung images, age, sore throat, nasopharyngeal viral load and inefficient viral clearance were predictors of re-positivity [10,23,[26][27][28]. However, no correlation was found between age and re-positivity in our study.…”

“…Due to the large proportion of patients with a re-positive result, we recommend that the frequency of SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing of patients with COVID-19 should be increased before discharge to reduce the re-positivity rate after discharge [22]. Similar to our results, the re-positivity rate in the study by Cento et al [10] was 46.9%. However, some studies have reported lower re-positivity rates of 3-25% [23][24][25].…”

Demographic, clinical, laboratory, radiological, and outcome features of possible and definitive COVID-19 patients followed in Sivas Cumhuriyet University Pandemic Clinic, in Turkey

“…Another critical issue is the fluctuations that can be seen in the COVID-19 PCR test. This situation has also been reported in the literature 6,7 . In our study, we observed fluctuations in the PCR results of 2 different patients as positive, negative, positive, and negative (respectively).…”

An observational study on imported COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong during mandatory on-arrival hotel quarantine

“…It has been widely documented that positive RT-PCR tests might occur weeks after recovery for SARS-CoV-2 sometimes following previous negative results. 19, 28-30 This is compatible with the hypothesis that re-positive cases who recovered from previous infections before departure would be very unlikely to be contagious. 31 Conversely, some cases with a negative RT-PCR result at arrival were detected during or after quarantine with lower Ct values were more likely due to infections acquired during quarantine (e.g.…”

Characteristics of patients with SARS-COV-2 PCR re-positivity after recovering from COVID-19

“…High levels of SARS-CoV-2 IgM in patients during quarantine and rehabilitation implied that the immune response had not subsided, and that the patient was excreting viral fragments, leading to the detection of re-positive results; thus, SARS-CoV-2 IgM in patients during quarantine and rehabilitation was positively correlated with re-positivity. Some previous studies have found that interleukin 6, lung images, age, sore throat, nasopharyngeal viral load and inefficient viral clearance were predictors of re-positivity [10,23,[26][27][28]. However, no correlation was found between age and re-positivity in our study.…”

“…Due to the large proportion of patients with a re-positive result, we recommend that the frequency of SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing of patients with COVID-19 should be increased before discharge to reduce the re-positivity rate after discharge [22]. Similar to our results, the re-positivity rate in the study by Cento et al [10] was 46.9%. However, some studies have reported lower re-positivity rates of 3-25% [23][24][25].…”

Demographic, clinical, laboratory, radiological, and outcome features of possible and definitive COVID-19 patients followed in Sivas Cumhuriyet University Pandemic Clinic, in Turkey

“…Another critical issue is the fluctuations that can be seen in the COVID-19 PCR test. This situation has also been reported in the literature 6,7 . In our study, we observed fluctuations in the PCR results of 2 different patients as positive, negative, positive, and negative (respectively).…”

An observational study on imported COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong during mandatory on-arrival hotel quarantine

“…It has been widely documented that positive RT-PCR tests might occur weeks after recovery for SARS-CoV-2 sometimes following previous negative results. 19, 28-30 This is compatible with the hypothesis that re-positive cases who recovered from previous infections before departure would be very unlikely to be contagious. 31 Conversely, some cases with a negative RT-PCR result at arrival were detected during or after quarantine with lower Ct values were more likely due to infections acquired during quarantine (e.g.…”

Characteristics of patients with SARS-COV-2 PCR re-positivity after recovering from COVID-19

“…High levels of SARS-CoV-2 IgM in patients during quarantine and rehabilitation implied that the immune response had not subsided, and that the patient was excreting viral fragments, leading to the detection of re-positive results; thus, SARS-CoV-2 IgM in patients during quarantine and rehabilitation was positively correlated with re-positivity. Some previous studies have found that interleukin 6, lung images, age, sore throat, nasopharyngeal viral load and inefficient viral clearance were predictors of re-positivity [10,23,[26][27][28]. However, no correlation was found between age and re-positivity in our study.…”

“…Due to the large proportion of patients with a re-positive result, we recommend that the frequency of SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing of patients with COVID-19 should be increased before discharge to reduce the re-positivity rate after discharge [22]. Similar to our results, the re-positivity rate in the study by Cento et al [10] was 46.9%. However, some studies have reported lower re-positivity rates of 3-25% [23][24][25].…”

Demographic, clinical, laboratory, radiological, and outcome features of possible and definitive COVID-19 patients followed in Sivas Cumhuriyet University Pandemic Clinic, in Turkey

“…Another critical issue is the fluctuations that can be seen in the COVID-19 PCR test. This situation has also been reported in the literature 6,7 . In our study, we observed fluctuations in the PCR results of 2 different patients as positive, negative, positive, and negative (respectively).…”

An observational study on imported COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong during mandatory on-arrival hotel quarantine

“…It has been widely documented that positive RT-PCR tests might occur weeks after recovery for SARS-CoV-2 sometimes following previous negative results. 19, 28-30 This is compatible with the hypothesis that re-positive cases who recovered from previous infections before departure would be very unlikely to be contagious. 31 Conversely, some cases with a negative RT-PCR result at arrival were detected during or after quarantine with lower Ct values were more likely due to infections acquired during quarantine (e.g.…”