Clinical Characteristics of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Patients with Redetectable Viral RNA Post-Discharged During the Quarantine Period

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to spread worldwide, with high infectivity and mortality rates. The global pandemic poses a serious risk to public health and is of significant concern to the medical community. The current study was performed to delineate the clinical characteristics of cases with redetectable viral RNA post-discharge following hospital discharge during the quarantine period. Methods: Data on 51 patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 were extracted through March 2, 2020. Findings: Median age was 57·0 (21–90) years, and 43% patients were female. Median time from initial symptoms to first discharge was 28 days and nine days from discharge to redetectable viral RNA. All patients were symptom-free, except one case presenting with fever and two with cough. Basic disease was observed in 47·1% patients, with hypertension being the most common manifestation. Laboratory and radiological findings were normal for the majority of patients. The median titers of anti-viral IgM and IgG antibodies in COVID-19 patients were 23·19 AU/mL and 170·36 AU/mL, respectively. No significant differences were observed between patients classified into the “persistence” and “non-persistence” groups based on the status of RNA positivity. The median length of hospital stay for patients that had reached the composite endpoint was 16·5 d and nine days in the persistence and non-persistence groups, respectively. Interpretation: The viral RNA for some symptom-free patients post-discharge can be positive with normal T cell subset and detectable IgG. More attentions should be paid to patients with re-detectable RNA of COVID-19. Funding Statement:  None. Declaration of Interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Ethics Approval Statement: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Army Medical University. Written informed consent was waived in light of the urgent need to collect clinical data