[Follow-up testing of viral nucleic acid in discharged patients with moderate type of COVID-19]

Zhejiang Da Xue Xue Bao Yi Xue Ban. 2020 May 25;49(2):270-274. doi: 10.3785/j.issn.1008-9292.2020.03.11.
[Article in Chinese]

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the clinical outcome of patients with moderate type of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) after discharge by retesting viral nucleic acid.

Methods: Seven patients with moderate COVID-19 met the discharge criteria enacted by National Health Commission were quarantined in hospital for 7 days, then continuously quarantined at home for 4 weeks after discharged. During the quarantined period, the symptoms and signs were documented, and sputum or nasal swab and feces samples were collected to test SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid by RT-PCR method.

Results: There was no symptoms and signs during the quarantine period in all 7 patients. However, respiratory swabs from 3 patients were confirmed positive of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid at 5 to 7 days after they met the discharge criteria.

Conclusions: There is a relatively high incidence of positive viral nucleic acid in patients met the discharge criteria, and it is suggested that patients met the current discharge criteria should be quarantined in hospital for another 7 days and the follow-up viral testing is necessary.

目的: 随访研究2019冠状病毒病(COVID-19)患者在达到出院标准后病毒核酸检测结果,为医疗机构对出院患者随访管理提供决策依据。

方法: 对浙江大学医学院附属第四医院经治疗后已符合出院标准的COVID-19患者采取院内继续隔离观察7 d,再居家隔离4周,期间记录患者每日临床体征,定期送检痰液行病毒核酸检测,评估患者病情变化。

结果: 已符合现有出院标准的7例患者中有3例在5~7 d后再次出现痰液病毒核酸检测阳性,持续阳性2~6 d后再次转阴;复查患者血常规、C反应蛋白、血生化以及胸部CT结果均无明显异常,也无明显临床症状。其余4例患者随访4周,痰液病毒核酸检测均为阴性,未出现COVID-19相关临床症状,实验室和影像学检查结果无异常。

结论: COVID-19患者按现有标准出院后复阳的比例较高,建议有条件的医疗机构对满足现行出院标准的患者继续院内隔离观察7 d并进行连续的病毒核酸监测。

MeSH terms

  • Betacoronavirus* / isolation & purification
  • COVID-19
  • Coronavirus Infections* / diagnosis
  • Feces / chemistry
  • Feces / virology
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Pandemics*
  • Patient Discharge / statistics & numerical data
  • Pneumonia, Viral* / diagnosis
  • Quarantine / statistics & numerical data
  • RNA, Viral* / analysis
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • RNA, Viral

Grants and funding

浙江大学新型冠状病毒肺炎应急科研专项资金资助(2020XGZX064);金华市新型冠状病毒肺炎疫情应急防治科研攻关项目(2020XG-32)