Low Utility of Repeat Real-Time PCR Testing for SARS-CoV-2 in Clinical Specimens

Douglas W Challener; Aditya Shah; John C O'Horo; Elie Berbari; Matthew J Binnicker; Aaron J Tande

doi:10.1016/j.mayocp.2020.06.020

Low Utility of Repeat Real-Time PCR Testing for SARS-CoV-2 in Clinical Specimens

Mayo Clin Proc. 2020 Sep;95(9):1942-1945. doi: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2020.06.020. Epub 2020 Jul 4.

Authors

Douglas W Challener¹, Aditya Shah², John C O'Horo³, Elie Berbari², Matthew J Binnicker⁴, Aaron J Tande²

Affiliations

¹ Division of Infectious Disease, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Division of Infectious Disease, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.
³ Division of Infectious Disease, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN; Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.
⁴ Division of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.

Abstract

In a multicenter cohort of 22,315 patients tested for COVID-19, 1676 (7.5%) had repeat testing via real-time polymerase chain reaction following an initial negative test. Of those retested within 7 days of their first negative test, only 2.0% had a positive result. This suggests that repeat testing from the same source is unlikely to provide additional information.

MeSH terms

Betacoronavirus / isolation & purification*
COVID-19
COVID-19 Testing
Clinical Laboratory Techniques / methods*
Coronavirus Infections / diagnosis*
Female
Humans
Male
Pandemics
Pneumonia, Viral / diagnosis*
Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction*
SARS-CoV-2
Serologic Tests / methods