Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness

November 6, 2020

Viral RNA Level, Serum Antibody Responses, and Transmission Risk in Recovered COVID-19 Patients with Recurrent Positive SARS-CoV-2 RNA Test Results: A Population-Based Observational Cohort Study

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  • Intermittent excretion of low levels of SARS-CoV-2 RNA after hospital discharge was not associated with either secondary transmission or worsening clinical disease. A population-based observational study of patients in China who had clinically recovered from SARS-CoV-2 and satisfied criteria for discharge including two negative PCR tests were then re-tested as outpatients. 479 patients were found to be SARS-CoV-2 positive with a median time-to-positivity of five days. These patients were re-admitted and this population exhibited mild (28%) or no (72%) symptoms with significantly lower levels of viral RNA than the corresponding values at disease onset. 96 close contacts and 1,200 candidate contacts of 23 recurrent-positive patients showed no clinical symptoms. The authors conclude that recurrent-positive patients pose a low transmission risk.

Yang et al. (Jan 1, 2020). Viral RNA Level, Serum Antibody Responses, and Transmission Risk in Recovered COVID-19 Patients with Recurrent Positive SARS-CoV-2 RNA Test Results: A Population-Based Observational Cohort Study. Emerging Microbes & Infections. https://doi.org/10.1080/22221751.2020.1837018