Assessing past versus present severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection: A survey of criteria for discontinuing precautions in asymptomatic patients testing positive on admission

Shruti K Gohil; Annabelle De St Maurice; Deborah S Yokoe; Stuart H Cohen; Francesca J Torriani; Jonathan D Grein; Philip A Robinson; Shannon Mabalot; Jessica Park; Paula Pedrani; Richard Platt; Susan S Huang

doi:10.1017/ice.2023.147

Assessing past versus present severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection: A survey of criteria for discontinuing precautions in asymptomatic patients testing positive on admission

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2024 Feb;45(2):237-240. doi: 10.1017/ice.2023.147. Epub 2023 Sep 13.

Authors

Shruti K Gohil^{1

2}, Annabelle De St Maurice³, Deborah S Yokoe⁴, Stuart H Cohen⁵, Francesca J Torriani⁶, Jonathan D Grein⁷, Philip A Robinson⁸, Shannon Mabalot⁹, Jessica Park², Paula Pedrani², Richard Platt¹⁰, Susan S Huang^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Epidemiology & Infection Prevention Program, University of California, Irvine Health (UC Irvine Health), Irvine, California.
² Division of Infectious Diseases, University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, California.
³ Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.
⁴ University of California, San Francisco, Division of Infectious Diseases, San Francisco, California.
⁵ University of California, Davis, Division of Infectious Diseases, Davis, California.
⁶ University of California, San Diego, Division of Infectious Diseases, San Diego, California.
⁷ Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Division of Infectious Diseases, Los Angeles, California.
⁸ Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, Department of Infection Prevention, Newport Beach and Irvine, California.
⁹ Infection Prevention, Sharp Metropolitan Medical Campus, San Diego, California.
¹⁰ Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.

Abstract

Infection prevention program leaders report frequent use of criteria to distinguish recently recovered coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases from actively infectious cases when incidentally positive asymptomatic patients were identified on routine severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing. Guidance on appropriate interpretation of high-sensitivity molecular tests can prevent harm from unnecessary precautions that delay admission and impede medical care.

MeSH terms

COVID-19 Testing
COVID-19* / diagnosis
COVID-19* / prevention & control
Humans
SARS-CoV-2