Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness

November 2, 2020

Epidemiological and Clinical Findings of Short-Term Recurrence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Ribonucleic Acid Polymerase Chain Reaction Positivity in 1282 Discharged Coronavirus Disease 2019 Cases: A Multicenter, Retrospective, Observational Study

Category:

Topic:

Keywords (Tags):

A retrospective study of patients who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA after being discharged from the hospital found that short-term recurrence of positive SARS-CoV-2 RNA was common (15%), and not associated with new symptoms. Risk of onward transmission among those with recurrence was low. Of 1282 discharged patients, almost 15% retested positive during 28-day follow-up, which prompted re-hospitalization. Patients with a recurrent positive test tended to be younger (34 vs. 45 years) and had a higher proportion of moderate symptoms during their first hospitalization than those who continued to test negative. All patients hospitalized twice had normal blood results and showed no new signs of COVID-19; none of their close contacts developed COVID-19. 

Chen et al. (Oct 1, 2020). Epidemiological and Clinical Findings of Short-Term Recurrence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Ribonucleic Acid Polymerase Chain Reaction Positivity in 1282 Discharged Coronavirus Disease 2019 Cases: A Multicenter, Retrospective, Observational Study. Open Forum Infectious Diseases. https://doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofaa432