Delayed SARS-COV-2 clearance in infected persons in Ghana

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dc.contributor.authorAdusei-Poku, M.A.
dc.contributor.authorAboagye, J.O.
dc.contributor.authorBonney, J.H.K.
dc.contributor.authoret al.
dc.date.accessioned2023-07-04T20:43:17Z
dc.date.available2023-07-04T20:43:17Z
dc.date.issued2023
dc.descriptionResearch Articleen_US
dc.description.abstractObjective: This study aimed to determine the duration of SARS-CoV-2 clearance in persons in Ghana. The research question was whether the duration of virus clearance in Ghana matched the 14 days recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO); this had direct implications for transmission, which was key in managing the COVID-19 pandemic. Design: This was a retrospective analytical study. Setting: All facilities that submitted clinical specimens to Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) for SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis between March to June 2020 were included in the study. Interventions: Samples from 480 persons who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR from March to June 2020 at NMIMR and submitted at least two follow-up samples were retrospectively analysed. Individuals with two consecutive negative RT-PCR retesting results were considered to have cleared SARS-CoV-2. Results: The median time from the initial positive test to virus clearance was 20 days (IQR: 5-56 days). This was six days longer than the WHO-recommended 14 days, after which infected persons could be de-isolated. Sputum and nasopharyngeal swabs proved more sensitive for detecting viral RNA as the infection progressed. At a significance level of 0.05, age and sex did not seem to influence the time to SARS-CoV-2 clearance. Conclusions: The median time to SARS-CoV-2 clearance in this study was 20 days, suggesting that SARS-CoV-2 infected persons in Ghana take longer to clear the virus. This finding calls for further investigations into whether patients who remain PCR positive continue to be infectious and inform isolation practices in Ghana.en_US
dc.identifier.otherdoi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/gmj.v57i2.3
dc.identifier.urihttp://ugspace.ug.edu.gh:8080/handle/123456789/39507
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherGhana Medical Journalen_US
dc.subjectVirus clearanceen_US
dc.subjectSARS-CoV-2en_US
dc.subjectsputumen_US
dc.titleDelayed SARS-COV-2 clearance in infected persons in Ghanaen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

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