Open AccessPersistent Positivity of Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction Test among Patients with COVID-19 in Rural Teaching Hospital: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study
Author(s) -
Narayani Maharjan,
Niresh Thapa,
Bibek Pun Magar,
Muna Maharjan,
Jiancheng Tu
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of nepal medical association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.176
H-Index - 19
eISSN - 1815-672X
pISSN - 0028-2715
DOI - 10.31729/jnma.7077
Subject(s) - medicine , confidence interval , asymptomatic , reverse transcriptase , polymerase chain reaction , cross sectional study , reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction , coronavirus , covid-19 , odds ratio , disease , pathology , biology , infectious disease (medical specialty) , biochemistry , messenger rna , gene
The persistence positivity detected for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 ribonucleic acid by real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction test in asymptomatic coronavirus disease 2019 positive patients has attracted a lot of attention. There is limited data on the duration of viral shedding. We aimed to determine the proportion of coronavirus disease patients with persistent positivity of real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction test in a teaching hospital of Nepal.Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using medical records from May to September 2020 in a teaching hospital of Nepal. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Committee of Karnali Academy of Health Sciences (Reference no 077/078/03). Convenient sampling method was used. Data was analysed by Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. Point estimate at 90% Confidence Interval was calculated along with frequency and proportion for binary data.Results: Of the total 95 cases, 9 (9.5%) cases (4.6-14.4 at 90% Confidence Interval), were repeat positive after achieving the first negative. The mean day required of achieving the last negative for the repeat positive group was 62.11±3.95, range (60-70 days). The mean time duration for the virus shedding was found to be 20.43±12.19 days (range 7-60 days) after the first positive test result.Conclusions: This study concludes that there might be a persistent positivity of the polymerase chain reaction test among patients with COVID-19. The majority of the patients were test positive for 8-14 days, and some were positive till 60-70 days.