Anal swab as a potentially optimal specimen for SARS-CoV-2 detection to evaluate hospital discharge of COVID-19 patients

Future Microbiol. 2020 Aug:15:1101-1107. doi: 10.2217/fmb-2020-0090. Epub 2020 Aug 14.

Abstract

Since December 2019, an outbreak of SARS coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) began in Wuhan, and has rapidly spread worldwide. Previously, discharged patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients met the criteria of China's pneumonia diagnosis and treatment program of novel coronavirus infection (trial version 7) for cure of viral infection. Nevertheless, positive detection of SARS-CoV-2 has been found again in several cured COVID-19 patients, leading to conflicts with current criteria. Here, we report clinically cured cases with positive results only in anal swabs, and investigate the clinical value of anal swabs for SARS-CoV-2 detection.

Keywords: COVID-19; RT-PCR; SARS-CoV-2; anal swab.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Retracted Publication

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Anal Canal / virology*
  • Betacoronavirus / isolation & purification*
  • COVID-19
  • COVID-19 Testing
  • Child, Preschool
  • Clinical Laboratory Techniques / methods
  • Coronavirus Infections / diagnosis
  • Coronavirus Infections / diagnostic imaging
  • Coronavirus Infections / virology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pandemics
  • Patient Discharge
  • Pneumonia, Viral / diagnostic imaging
  • Pneumonia, Viral / virology*
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Young Adult