The time and risk factors of virus nucleic acid negative conversion in 104 cases of COVID-19 in Chongqing

ABSTRACT

Objective The time and the risk factors of virus nucleic acids negative conversion of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients were analyzed. Methods The clinical data of patients with COVID-19 admitted to Chongqing Public Health Medical Treatment Center from February 6 to March 9, 2020 were collected retrospectively. The clinical characteristics, treatment and outcome were described. The time of turning negative of nucleic acid was counted and the risk factors of turning negative of nucleic acid were analyzed. Results There were 104 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 56 males and 48 females, with an average age of (49.9 +or- 15.5) years (12-86 years old). The average interval between clinical symptoms and medical treatment was 5.5 days. From the time point of clinical symptoms, the time needed for nucleic acid to turn negative was (19.8 +or- 7.7) days, of which 32 cases (30.8%) turned negative within 14 days, 72 cases (69.2%) turned negative more than 14 days, and 14 cases (13.5%) turned negative more than 28 days. Univariate analysis showed that the time interval from clinical symptoms to medical treatment (6.7+or-4.4) days of nucleic acid conversion group after 14 days was longer than that (2.6 +or-1.8) days of conversion group within 14 days (P < 0.05);the incidence of combined with pulmonary bacterial infection (25 cases, 34.7%), infection more than three pulmonary lobes (36 cases, 50.0%), severe patients (24 cases, 33.3%) and combined use of glucocorticoids were greater than those of conversion group within 14 days (all P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that there were significant differences in the time interval from symptoms to medical treatment and the proportion of three or more lobes involved in lung lesions between the two groups (P < 0.05). Conclusions The risk factors of viral nucleic acid turning negative are the timeliness of medical treatment, combined with pulmonary bacterial infection, wide range of pulmonary lesions, clinical typing and combined use of glucocorticoids, especially the timeliness of medical treatment and the range of pulmonary lesions.