Management of severe COVID-19 patient with negative RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2: Role of clinical, radiological, and serological diagnosis

Abstract

A real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is the gold standard in diagnosis for infection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), but the false-negative result is the problem in the prevention and control the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). A false-negative of RT-PCR test needs to be evaluated when the patient showed a high clinical suspicion for COVID-19. We report a 36-year-old man with 4 times negative RT-PCR results, but clinical, radiological (chest X-ray and chest CT scan), and serological examinations showed a high suspicion of COVID-19. History of close contacted with COVID-19 confirmed patient was reported, and the wife of our case was also RT-PCR tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in the next few days strengthen the COVID-19 diagnosis of our case patient. It is important to use the combination of RT-PCR, chest X-ray, chest CT scan, clinical manifestations, antibodies test, and exposure history of patients to diagnose COVID-19 and decide the early isolation and appropriate treatment.

Keywords

• Coronavirus Disease 2019
• Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2
• Real-Time RT-PCR
• False-Negative