Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA is detectable in nasopharyngeal specimens for up to 12-20 days regardless of the presence of chronic diseases in patients. We report a case of prolonged SARS-CoV-2 infection that lasted for more than eight weeks. The patient had persistent lymphopenia after receiving six cycles of bendamustine and rituximab (BR) therapy for follicular lymphoma; the last chemotherapy session was completed nine months before admission. The first nasopharyngeal specimen (NPS) for the SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction assay tested positive for the N501Y variant five weeks before admission. The patient’s general and respiratory conditions gradually worsened; therefore, he was admitted to our hospital, and the same SARS-CoV-2 variant was subsequently identified on admission. Treatment for coronavirus disease was initiated, and the patient’s condition improved; however, the NPS tested positive on day 15. The patient was discharged on day 28 and was instructed to isolate at home for a month. Hence, possible prolonged SARS-CoV-2 shedding should be considered in patients who receive BR therapy.
Keywords: Bendamustine; COVID-19; Persistent infection; Rituximab; SARS-CoV-2; Viral shedding.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, viral shedding, rituximab, persistent infection, Bendamustine, 【초록키워드】 coronavirus disease, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, coronavirus, therapy, SARS-COV-2 infection, hospital, variant, SARS-CoV-2 variant, viral shedding, severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus, rituximab, chronic disease, RNA, lymphopenia, Chemotherapy, polymerase chain reaction, Viral, N501Y, Patient, persistent infection, persistent, respiratory, Admission, patients, Bendamustine, Follicular lymphoma, on admission, Chain Reaction, Chronic diseases, acute respiratory syndrome, chemotherapy session, acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, positive, nasopharyngeal specimen, NPs, FIVE, polymerase chain, tested, the patient, detectable, nine, eight, receiving, condition, initiated, discharged, receive, follicular, the SARS-CoV-2, 【제목키워드】 Treatment, Case report, persistent, Bendamustine, acute respiratory syndrome,