An Atypical Case of Prolonged COVID-19 Infection

Cureus. 2022 Jul 16;14(7):e26921. doi: 10.7759/cureus.26921. eCollection 2022 Jul.

Abstract

Immunocompromised patients with COVID-19 can have prolonged disease courses that require escalation in care to inpatient or ICU settings. We report a case of a prolonged, active COVID-19 infection in an immunocompromised 61-year-old female with a history of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. During her hospitalization, her cycle thresholds (CT) continued to worsen despite clinical improvement. We compared our patient's course and CTs to other reported cases in immunocompromised patients, investigating the efficacy of CTs and their use in evaluating disease progression and severity. RT-PCR tests targeting specific types of replicative viral RNA may have more utility in assessing disease severity and infectivity in immunocompromised patients. Our patient's disease course, similar to other reported cases, illustrates the need for improved treatment protocols and infection prevention for the immunocompromised population against SARS-CoV-2.

Keywords: covid-19; cycle threshold; immunocompromise; rt pcr; sars cov-2.

Publication types

  • Case Reports