Are two consecutive negative RT-PCR results enough to rule out COVID-19?
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is redefining the world we live in, and scientists are struggling to find the best severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) diagnostic tool. Routine testing is currently performed using real-time reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR)...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2020-09-01
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| Series: | New Microbes and New Infections |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2052297520301025 |
| _version_ | 1818042388712521728 |
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| author | R. Waked J. Makhoul G. Saliba N. Chehata S. Mortada A. Zoghbi J. Choucair E. Haddad |
| author_facet | R. Waked J. Makhoul G. Saliba N. Chehata S. Mortada A. Zoghbi J. Choucair E. Haddad |
| author_sort | R. Waked |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is redefining the world we live in, and scientists are struggling to find the best severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) diagnostic tool. Routine testing is currently performed using real-time reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) of upper or lower respiratory tract secretions. We sought to demonstrate the importance of conducting RT-PCR using deep sampling when initial upper respiratory testing is negative in cases of high index of suspicion for COVID-19. We present the case of a 47-year-old man admitted for fever and bilateral pneumonia diagnosed via chest computed tomographic scan amidst the early peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting a SARS-CoV-2 infection. Two RT-PCR results from nasopharyngeal swab samples were negative. A bronchoscopy was then performed, and RT-PCR testing on bronchoalveolar lavage samples yielded positive results, confirming the diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia. RT-PCR samples of the lower respiratory tract likely contain a higher virus load and thus retain a higher sensitivity for SARS-CoV-2 detection. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T08:45:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b4840878529b42378f2e2fdbc215d50a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2052-2975 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T08:45:32Z |
| publishDate | 2020-09-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | New Microbes and New Infections |
| spelling | doaj.art-b4840878529b42378f2e2fdbc215d50a2022-12-22T01:55:45ZengElsevierNew Microbes and New Infections2052-29752020-09-0137100750Are two consecutive negative RT-PCR results enough to rule out COVID-19?R. Waked0J. Makhoul1G. Saliba2N. Chehata3S. Mortada4A. Zoghbi5J. Choucair6E. Haddad7Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Saint Joseph University, Beirut, LebanonDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Saint Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon; Corresponding author: J. Makhoul, Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Saint Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon.Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Saint Joseph University, Beirut, LebanonDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Saint Joseph University, Beirut, LebanonDepartment of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Faculty of Medicine, Saint Joseph University, Beirut, LebanonEmergency Department, Faculty of Medicine, Saint Joseph University, Beirut, LebanonDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Saint Joseph University, Beirut, LebanonDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Saint Joseph University, Beirut, LebanonThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is redefining the world we live in, and scientists are struggling to find the best severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) diagnostic tool. Routine testing is currently performed using real-time reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) of upper or lower respiratory tract secretions. We sought to demonstrate the importance of conducting RT-PCR using deep sampling when initial upper respiratory testing is negative in cases of high index of suspicion for COVID-19. We present the case of a 47-year-old man admitted for fever and bilateral pneumonia diagnosed via chest computed tomographic scan amidst the early peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting a SARS-CoV-2 infection. Two RT-PCR results from nasopharyngeal swab samples were negative. A bronchoscopy was then performed, and RT-PCR testing on bronchoalveolar lavage samples yielded positive results, confirming the diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia. RT-PCR samples of the lower respiratory tract likely contain a higher virus load and thus retain a higher sensitivity for SARS-CoV-2 detection.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2052297520301025CoronavirusCOVID-19pneumoniapolymerase chain reactionSARS-CoV-2 |
| spellingShingle | R. Waked J. Makhoul G. Saliba N. Chehata S. Mortada A. Zoghbi J. Choucair E. Haddad Are two consecutive negative RT-PCR results enough to rule out COVID-19? New Microbes and New Infections Coronavirus COVID-19 pneumonia polymerase chain reaction SARS-CoV-2 |
| title | Are two consecutive negative RT-PCR results enough to rule out COVID-19? |
| title_full | Are two consecutive negative RT-PCR results enough to rule out COVID-19? |
| title_fullStr | Are two consecutive negative RT-PCR results enough to rule out COVID-19? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Are two consecutive negative RT-PCR results enough to rule out COVID-19? |
| title_short | Are two consecutive negative RT-PCR results enough to rule out COVID-19? |
| title_sort | are two consecutive negative rt pcr results enough to rule out covid 19 |
| topic | Coronavirus COVID-19 pneumonia polymerase chain reaction SARS-CoV-2 |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2052297520301025 |
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