‘Harmless Residual Virus’ Causes Cured COVID Patients To Test Positive Again: Experts

Lucknow: At least 10 patients in different hospitals of Uttar Pradesh, tested positive for COVID-19 even after being treated and cured. The reason, a seemingly harmless “residual virus”, reported Hindustan Times (HT) quoting experts.

These patients had gone for a test after completing treatment to check the virus load in their bodies.

The newspaper quoted the case of a King George’s Medical University (KGMU) staffer here. He got his test done again after completing COVID-19 treatment and the report was positive. His antibody test was also positive. A positive antibody report is a confirmation that a person was infected in the past and has recovered from COVID-19.

“Initially, in his case, we got alarmed but when his Covid-19 test was done (yet again), it was negative,” HT quoted Prof Tulika Chandra, head of the department of transfusion medicine at KGMU as saying.

“After treatment, the RNA (ribonucleic acid) molecule remains in the body for some time, say another two weeks, and gradually goes out. If someone goes for a second test immediately after completing treatment, the test report will be positive but it is harmless for the person,” the report added.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has issued guidelines that there is no need for a COVID-19 retest at least for the next three months (for recovered patients), HT reported Prof Chandra as saying.

“The guidelines from ICMR say once a person tests positive and is then treated for the infection, (the patient) should not get tested again before three months,” she said.

On how such patients got themselves tested again despite the guidelines, Prof Chandra told HT, “Often patients do not say they have been tested and treated earlier. If they reveal their (previous) test, the medical staff will adhere to the guidelines, but if the patient does not say, the staff won’t know.”

Prof Chandra said people should themselves adhere to the guidelines, so that unnecessary testing load can be avoided.

“One can always consult a doctor if one feels there are symptoms even after treatment,” Dr Sandeep Kapoor, Director of Healthcity Hospital in Lucknow told HT.