Persistent COVID-19: A Case Report of an Immunocompromised Patient and a Literature Review

Acta Haematol. 2024;147(5):571-575. doi: 10.1159/000537793. Epub 2024 Feb 15.

Abstract

Introduction: Immunocompromised patients can show prolonged shedding of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and persistent symptoms, which is called persistent COVID-19.

Case presentation: We report a case of an immunocompromised patient who was treated for mantle cell lymphoma and was suffering from B-cell depletion. The patient developed persistent COVID-19, which was confirmed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests in only sputum and bronchoalveolar fluid which remained positive for at least 112 days. The patient was successfully treated with SARS-CoV-2 convalescent plasma.

Conclusion: It could be of interest to investigate the RT-PCR results of SARS-CoV-2 in sputum/bronchoalveolar lavage samples from immunocompromised patients with unexplained pneumonia.

Keywords: B-cell depletion; Convalescent plasma; Immunocompromised patients; Persistent COVID-19; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / virology
  • COVID-19 Serotherapy
  • COVID-19* / complications
  • COVID-19* / diagnosis
  • COVID-19* / immunology
  • Humans
  • Immunization, Passive
  • Immunocompromised Host*
  • Lymphoma, Mantle-Cell* / diagnosis
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • SARS-CoV-2* / immunology
  • SARS-CoV-2* / isolation & purification
  • Sputum