COVID-19 in an immunocompromised host: persistent shedding of viable SARS-CoV-2 and emergence of multiple mutations: a case report

• Published in: International journal of infectious diseases Vol. 114; pp. 178 - 182
• Main Authors: Leung, Wayne F., Chorlton, Samuel, Tyson, John, Al-Rawahi, Ghada N., Jassem, Agatha N., Prystajecky, Natalie, Masud, Shazia, Deans, Gregory D., Chapman, Michael G., Mirzanejad, Yazdan, Murray, Melanie C.M., Wong, Patrick H.P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Canada Elsevier Ltd 01-01-2022; The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of International Society for Infectious Diseases; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Case report; COVID-19; Female; Humans; Immunocompromised; Immunocompromised Host; Mutation; SARS-CoV-2; Sequencing; Viral culture; Virus Shedding; Young Adult; Viral culture; SARS-CoV-2; Case report; Mutation; Sequencing; Immunocompromised
• ISSN: 1201-9712; 1878-3511
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2021.10.045

•Ongoing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection may occur in immunocompromised hosts.•Sequencing of repeat samples demonstrated an increasing repertoire of mutations.•Viral culture can be used to confirm the presence of infectious SARS-CoV-2.
This article reports a case of a 21-year-old woman with refractory B-cell acute lymphocytic leukaemia who presented with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). She remained positive for SARS-CoV-2 by viral culture for 78 days and by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for 97 days. Sequencing of repeat samples over time demonstrated an increasing and dynamic repertoire of mutations.