A Convalescent of COVID-19 with RT-PCR Test Continues Positive in Stool.
Yang. Zhiwei Z; Yu. Mingxue M; Li. Ganwen G; Dai. Xiaoling X; Liu. Guirong G; Xie. Jinjun J; Li. Gang G; Jie. Yusheng Y
Key Findings
- Respiratory swabs became negative while stool remained PCR‑positive for SARS‑CoV‑2
- Fecal positivity persisted at least 24 days after the first negative respiratory test
- Authors recommend adding stool PCR to discharge criteria to reduce possible gut‑related transmission
Practical Outcomes
- The findings don’t provide any actionable information about thymosin‑alpha‑1 or health‑optimizing protocols for biohackers. It simply highlights a potential gap in COVID‑19 discharge testing, which is more relevant to clinical practice than to personal longevity or performance strategies.
Summary
This study reports a COVID‑19 patient whose nose/throat tests turned negative, but the virus’s genetic material was still found in stool 24 days later, suggesting the gut can keep shedding virus after respiratory recovery.
Abstract
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has affected more than 100 countries worldwide and the discharge criteria of patients with COVID-19 vary across different countries. In China, patients with two negative respiratory viral RNA tests taken at least one day apart can be discharged with no further quarantine required. Currently, PCR testing of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in fecal sample is not routinely performed. We present a patient with COVID-19, whose respiratory swabs became negative but fecal sample remained positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Stool sample collected on 27th of February was still positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA, 24 days after the first negative respiratory swab. Based on the experience from the 2003 SARS epidemic, we recommend that fecal RNA testing of SARS-CoV-2 should be incorporated into the discharge criteria to minimize the risk of transmission from the gastrointestinal tract.
Study Information
pubmed
2020
2020-12-01T00:00:00.000Z
10.7754/clin.lab.2020.200623