Patients receiving in-center hemodialysis are at high risk for infections due to relative immunosuppression, limited ability to physically distance, and frequent encounters with the health care setting. This has been particularly evident during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We describe 2 patients with suspected recurrent COVID-19 infection, each with documented clearance of virus between episodes. The duration between a negative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction test result for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and symptomatic reinfection was 31 and 55 days, respectively, in the 2 patients. A higher risk for infection with COVID-19 and poor outcomes if infected, including ≥20% short-term mortality risk, is worrisome in this patient population. Continued measures such as infection prevention, community outreach, and early testing may play a role in establishing protocols to protect the vulnerable dialysis population.
Keywords: COVID-19; RT-PCR; SARS-CoV-2; end stage kidney disease; immunity; recurrent positive.
© 2021 The Authors.