What are the Clinical Implications of a Positive RT-PCR Test 6 Months after a Mild SARS-CoV-2 Infection?

De Carvalho, Joao Gabriel; Hvozdara, Kateryna

We present the case of an 84-year-old female patient hospitalized for surgical treatment of a hip fracture who re-tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 with an RT-PCR nasopharyngeal swab approximately 6 months after presenting mild respiratory symptoms with confirmed COVID-19 in April 2020. We discuss the possibility of reinfection, long-term viral shedding and residual positivity, the limitations of RT-PCR swab tests, and the necessity for new testing methods as the COVID-19 pandemic spreads and long-lasting immunity is uncertain. LEARNING POINTS This case suggests that a patient could still test positive on a standard RT-PCR nasopharyngeal swab test for as long as 6 months after previous COVID-19.Long-term non-viable viral shedding may be related to the severity of COVID-19 and to persistent pulmonary interstitial damage after COVID-19.New testing methods may be required if reinfection becomes common, as testing a patient with known past COVID-19 using a standard RT-PCR swab test could lead to a false positive diagnosis.