A study of factors associated with the duration of positive polymerase chain reaction tests in patients with COVID-19

Abstract

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test is useful for diagnosing COVID-19. However, a positive PCR test may persist for several weeks after symptom improvement and make the decision to lift isolation difficult. We investigated factors associated with the duration of positive PCR tests in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The background of 226 patients who were hospitalized and treated at our hospital between January 1, 2022 and May 8, 2023 was extracted, and factors related to the duration of positive PCR tests were examined. In patients with immunosuppressive conditions such as advanced age, diabetes mellitus, hematologic malignancies, and malignant lymphoma, and those who had undergone B-cell depletion therapy, the duration of positive PCR tests was significantly prolonged. Because long-term viral shedding has been reported in these patients, caution should be exercised when releasing such patients from isolation.