Potential recurrence of COVID-19 in a healthcare professional: SARS-CoV-2 genome sequencing confirms contagiousness after re-positivity

• Author(s): Correia, Ana M. ; Borges, Vítor ; Isidro, Joana ; Lima, Ana R. ; Fernandes, Alberto ; Godinho, Maria Leonor ; Duarte, Sílvia ; Ferrão, José ; Vieira, Luís ; Gomes, João P.
• Date: 2021
• Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.18/8055
• Origin: Repositório Científico do Instituto Nacional de Saúde
• Subject(s): COVID-19; Genome Sequencing; Infectivity; Re-positivity; SARS-CoV-2; Infecções Respiratórias; Cuidados de Saúde
• Document Type: Journal article
• Language: English
• Contributor(s): Repositório Científico do Instituto Nacional de Saúde

Description

Re-positivity of SARS-CoV-2 tests is widely reported, raising discussion about guidance for patient discharge and ending isolation. The unsuccessful recovery of replication-competent virus and/or absence of secondary cases has suggested that re-positive patients are not contagious. This study reports SARS-CoV-2 re-positivity in a healthcare professional 16 days after three negative tests, with viral genome sequencing supporting contagiousness leading to secondary cases.