Key result
Re-positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR tests linked to ~6 days longer time to negative conversion.
Why the study?
Interpreting SARS-CoV-2 PCR results during follow-up, especially at discharge when viral concentration is low, is challenging and unclear for hospitalized patients.
Observational (n=84)
No
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
pitalized patients were not clear, leading to many patients remaining hospitalized until their real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR; hereinafter referred to as PCR) tests returned negative results.The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) PCR test is crucial for diagnosing COVID-19 [1, 2], monitoring the disease progression [3, 4], and determining whether hospitalized patients can be discharged [5, 6].However, interpreting the PCR result can be more challenging during follow-up than at the time of diagnosis.During the initial diagnosis, a large amount of virus particles is present in the test specimen, making it easy to determine positive or negative results.However, during follow-up testing, especially at the time of discharge, the virus concentration is low, rendering interpretation of the results difficult.Since the emergence of COVID-19 in 2019, numerous studies have reported on the diagnosis [7, 8], clinical features [9, 10], and
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Yoo et al. (2024) conducted an observational in COVID-19 (n=84). SARS-CoV-2 re-positivity vs. Consistently negative PCR results was evaluated on Time to negative PCR conversion (p=0.049). Patients with re-positive SARS-CoV-2 rRT-PCR results took significantly longer to achieve negative conversion compared to consistently negative patients (mean 33.7 vs 27.8 days, p=0.049).
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