Probable causes and risk factors for positive SARS-CoV-2 test in recovered patients: Evidence from Brunei Darussalam

Case reports of patients with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) who have been discharged and subsequently report positive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction again (hereafter referred as re-positive) do not fully describe the magnitude and significance of this issue. To determine the re-positive rate (proportion) and review probable causes and outcomes, we conduct a retrospective study of all 119 discharged patients in Brunei Darussalam up till April 23. Patients who were discharged are required to self-isolate at home for 14 days and undergo nasopharyngeal specimen collection postdischarge. Discharged patients found to be re-positive were readmitted. We reviewed the clinical and epidemiological records of all discharged patients and apply log-binomial models to obtain risk ratios for re-positive status. One in five recovered patients subsequently test positive again for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2-this risk is more than six times higher in persons aged 60 years and above. The average Ct value of re-positive patients was lower predischarge compared with their readmission Ct value. Out of 111 close contacts tested, none were found to be positive as a result of exposure to a re-positive patient. Our findings support prolonged but intermittent viral shedding as the probable cause for this phenomenon. We did not observe infectivity potential in these patients.