Prevalence of Positive Rapid Antigen Tests After 7-Day Isolation Following SARS-CoV-2 Infection in College Athletes During Omicron Variant Predominance.
JAMA Netw Open
; 5(10): e2237149, 2022 10 03.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2074858
ABSTRACT
Importance The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shortened the recommended isolation period for SARS-CoV-2 infection from 10 days to 5 days in December 2021. It is unknown whether an individual with the infection may still have a positive result to a rapid antigen test and potentially be contagious at the end of this shortened isolation period. Objective:
To estimate the proportion of individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection whose rapid antigen test is still positive starting 7 days postdiagnosis. Design, Setting, andParticipants:
This case series analyzed student athletes at a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I university campus who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 between January 3 and May 6, 2022. Individuals underwent rapid antigen testing starting 7 days postdiagnosis to determine whether they could end their isolation period. Exposures Rapid antigen testing 7 days after testing positive for SARS-CoV-2. Main Outcomes andMeasures:
Rapid antigen test results, symptom status, and SARS-CoV-2 variant identification via campus wastewater analysis.Results:
A total of 264 student athletes (140 [53%] female; mean [SD] age, 20.1 [1.2] years; range, 18-25 years) representing 268 infections (177 [66%] symptomatic, 91 [34%] asymptomatic) were included in the study. Of the 248 infections in individuals who did a day 7 test, 67 (27%; 95% CI, 21%-33%) tests were still positive. Patients with symptomatic infections were significantly more likely to test positive on day 7 vs those who were asymptomatic (35%; 95% CI, 28%-43% vs 11%; 95% CI, 5%-18%; P < .001). Patients with the BA.2 variant were also significantly more likely to test positive on day 7 compared with those with the BA.1 variant (40%; 95% CI, 29%-51% vs 21%; 95% CI, 15%-27%; P = .007). Conclusions and Relevance In this case series, rapid antigen tests remained positive in 27% of the individuals after 7 days of isolation, suggesting that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-recommended 5-day isolation period may be insufficient in preventing ongoing spread of disease. Further studies are needed to determine whether these findings are present in a more heterogeneous population and in subsequent variants.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
SARS-CoV-2
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Diagnostic study
/
Observational study
Topics:
Variants
Limits:
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Young adult
Language:
English
Journal:
JAMA Netw Open
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
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