THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a curious case, a Covid-recovered patient in Thrissur has shown prolonged RT-PCR positivity, with viral RNA found in clinical specimens even after his recovery. Savio Joseph, an NRI, who had arrived here in June, is now unable to get back to work in Oman where he was employed or seek medical treatment for another condition on account of the prolonged positivity. Savio from Ponnukara in Thrissur, who was employed as a cleaning supervisor in Oman, is keen on returning to his work place. But prior to that, he has to undergo a surgery for a shoulder injury. However, his prolonged positivity has come in the way.
According to Savio, he had first tested positive for the virus on March 15 while still in Oman. But the authorities there did not issue him any Covid certificate. He arrived in Kochi on June 28 and tested negative in the antigen test conducted at the airport. But three weeks later, he developed Covid symptoms and approached the district hospital on July 18. In the subsequent RT-PCR test, he tested positive for the virus and was admitted to hospital. Later, he was discharged when his antigen test proved negative. In the meantime, he was subjected to the RT-PCR test three times and the results turned out to be positive in all of them.
After his discharge on August 1, he again developed symptoms and visited the outpatient wing at the General Hospital on September 1. In the RT-PCR test, he again tested positive for the virus and was admitted to the Medical College Hospital on September 3. Later, when his antigen test turned out to be negative on September 11, he was discharged from hospital. Though he had tested positive last time round, his mother who was staying with him, tested negative.
Sumesh, Covid nodal officer, Thrissur General Hospital, who attended to Savio told Express, “Normally, Covid patients who recover will remain RT-PCR positive for the virus even after discharge. In some cases, the prolonged RT-PCR positivity will last about 42 days. But this is an exceptional case and his genome has to be subjected to a detailed study,” he said.
Though viral RNA remains can be found in clinical specimens even after discharge, it does not mean that the virus can be passed on to others, he added. P Gopikumar, secretary, IMA, said the state is yet to put together a comprehensive data of Covid patients for analysis. Only data of around 500 patients have been compiled for analysis. “We need to focus more on the data analysis of Covid patients as there are several such cases across the state,” he said.