The host immune response of a discharged COVID-19 patient with twice reemergence of SARS-CoV-2: a case report

Zao, Xiaobin; Zhou, Yang; Liang, Yijun; Cao, Xu; Chen, Hening; Li, Xiaoke; Ye, Yong’an

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has become a global pandemic. There have been reports that long-term SARS-CoV-2 RNA shedding and re-infection of COVID-19 patients existed. However, the specific mechanism, diagnosis, and treatment of COVID-19 are still unclarified. CASE PRESENTATION: In this case, we reported a 64-year-old patient who had a long-term course of COVID-19 for 174 days with two retests of SARS-CoV-2 RNA positive after discharging from the hospital. The patient’s serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) of SARS-CoV-2 tested positive after the initial infection. And during treatment, the CD4 + T cell count and ratio to peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) were in dynamic change. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggested that the host immune system responded with IgG production after SARS-CoV-2 infection, but was not protective enough for the patient. The reemergence of SARS-CoV-2 could be related to the cell count and proportion of CD4 + T cells in PBMC. And the increase of CD4 + T cells after treatment may help to clear the virus.