Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Discharged COVID-19 Patients With Reoccurrence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA

Abstract

Aim: Data are limited on clinical characteristics and outcomes of recovered the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients with the reoccurrence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Patients & methods: Discharged patients in our hospital were included, who had recovered from COVID-19 with the reoccurrence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Results: Six patients were redetectable and positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA after discharge from 3 to 15 days. The main symptoms, although no fever, included fatigue, dry cough and pharyngeal or chest discomfort, which were generally milder in the repositive period compared with the period of initial infection. Their laboratory indexes were significantly improved compared with the initial infection, and the pulmonary lesions were continuously improving. All close contacts were SARS-CoV-2 RNA-negative. Conclusion: No worsening outcomes or active transmission to close contacts were found for the repositive COVID-19 patients.

Keywords:

• clinical characteristics
• COVID-19
• discharge
• outcomes
• reoccurrence
• SARS-CoV-2 RNA

Author contributions

B Jia, F-Y Peng and J Wu had the idea, designed the study and take responsibility for the integrity of the data and accuracy of data analysis. B Jia, J Wu and X-Y Xia contributed to writing of the manuscript. B Jia and W-X Huang contributed to critical revision of the manuscript. H-L Liu and H Xia contributed to the statistical analysis and graphics processing. All the authors reviewed and approved the final version.

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge all healthcare workers involved in the diagnosis and treatment of patients in Dazu Chongqing. They thank the clinical laboratory department from The People’s Hospital of Dazu District and Dazu Center for Disease Control and infection for providing data for patients with SARS-CoV-2.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The study was supported by the Key Funding for COVID-19 Clinical Investigation (Special and Urgent item) by Chongqing Medical University and also supported by the Medical Research Project of Science and Health Union from Chongqing, China (2019ZDXM042). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

This study was approved by the Ethics Commission of The People’s Hospital of Dazu District. Written informed consent was waived by the Ethics Commission of the designated hospital for emerging infectious diseases.