Continued nucleic acid tests for SARS-CoV-2 following discharge of patients with COVID-19 in Lu'an, China

Background. Studies have shown that discharged Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients have retested positive for SARS-CoV-2 during a follow-up RT-PCR test. We sought to assess the results of continued nucleic acid testing for SARS-CoV-2 patients in COVID-19 patients after they were discharged in Lu'an, China. Methods. We conducted RT-PCR tests on sputum, throat swabs, fecal or anal swabs, and urine samples collected from 67 COVID-19 patients following discharge. Samples were collected on the 7th and 14th days following discharge. Patients testing positive on the 7th or 14th day were retested after 24 hours until they tested negative twice. Results. Seventeen (17/67, 25.4%) discharged COVID-19 patients had a positive RT-PCR retest for SARS-CoV-2. Among them, 14 (82.4%) were sputum positive, five (29.4%) were throat swab positive, seven (41.2%) were fecal or anal swab positive, one (5.9%) was urine sample positive, five (29.4%) were both sputum and throat swab positive, four (23.5%) were both sputum and fecal test positive, and one (5.9%) was positive of all four specimens. The shortest period of time between discharge and the last positive test was 7 days, the longest was 48 days, and the median was 16 days. The proportion of positive fecal or anal swab tests increased from the third week. The median Cq cut-off values after onset were 26.7 after the first week, 37.7 the second to sixth week, and 40 after the sixth week. There were no significant differences between the RT-PCR retest positive group and the unrecovered positive group. Conclusions. There was a high proportion of patients who retested positive for COVID-19. Discharge criteria have remained fairly consistent so we encourage regions affected by COVID-19 to appropriately amend their current criteria.

Automated summary

The study found a high proportion of COVID-19 patients retesting positive after discharge, with an increase in positive fecal or anal swab tests from the third week onwards.