Clinical and Epidemiological Characteristics of COVID-19 Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Re-Detected on PCR Test after Discharge from Isolation

• Published in: Clinics and practice Vol. 11; no. 4; pp. 954 - 960
• Main Authors: Alsahafi, Abdullah J, Al Daajani, Manal M, Osman, Ahmed A, Moawwad, Abdulhamed L, Algarni, Abdullah M, Asiri, Ibrahim M, Nofal, Wadea O, Alselami, Rayan M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 18.12.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Antibiotics; Asthma; Asymptomatic; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Diabetes; Fever; Health surveillance; Hospitals; Hypertension; Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Laboratories; Males; Pandemics; Public health; real-time polymerase chain reaction; repeat positive; SARS-CoV-2; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Viral infections; China; COVID-19; repeat positive; SARS-CoV-2; Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; real-time polymerase chain reaction
• ISSN: 2039-7275; 2039-7283; 2039-7283
• DOI: 10.3390/clinpract11040110

There have been multiple reports of patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) testing positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) after discharge; however, information on the characteristics of such cases is limited. In this case report, we aimed to identify clinical and epidemiological characteristics of patients who had a repeat positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for SARS-CoV-2. We analyzed data of 22 COVID-19 patients who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing after two consecutive negative PCR results following discharge from hospitals. The interval between the two positive tests in the episodes of COVID-19 ranged from 4 to 117 days. More than one-third of the cases were healthcare workers (HCWs) and one-third of them had comorbidities. The main symptoms were cough and fever, and we noticed that males experienced more symptoms and signs of COVID-19 than females. Individuals with repeat SARS-CoV-2 positivity tend to experience milder illness during the second episode than the first episode. To confirm the reinfection of SARS-CoV-2, the results of other tests, such as viral culture and immunological assays of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin M (IgM), need to be considered. Recovered COVID-19 patients should continue social distancing, using face masks, and practicing hand hygiene, especially HCWs who are more likely to be exposed to SARS-CoV-2.