False-Positive Results of SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR in Oropharyngeal Swabs From Vaccinators

Xiang-Qi Kong; Yong-Jing Wang; Zan-Xi Fang; Tian-Ci Yang; Man-Li Tong

doi:10.3389/fmed.2022.847407

False-Positive Results of SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR in Oropharyngeal Swabs From Vaccinators

Front Med (Lausanne). 2022 Jun 10:9:847407. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2022.847407. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Xiang-Qi Kong¹, Yong-Jing Wang¹, Zan-Xi Fang¹, Tian-Ci Yang^{1

2}, Man-Li Tong^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Center of Clinical Laboratory, School of Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.
² Xiamen Clinical Laboratory Quality Control Center, Xiamen, China.
³ Institute of Infectious Disease, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.

Abstract

Real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is the gold standard for diagnosing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, RT-PCR may yield false-positive results, leading to unnecessary countermeasures. Here, we report a "positive" nucleic acid test on a 10-pooled sample during the routine screening that caused many adverse societal effects, and financial and resource losses. However, they were subsequently determined to be a case of vaccine contamination. This case study increases awareness of false-positive RT-PCR results for SARS-CoV-2, especially when participants are vaccinators. Moreover, it could provide relevant suggestions to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.

Keywords: RT-PCR; SARS-CoV-2; contamination; false positive; vaccine.