Patient and Immunological Factors Associated With Delayed Clearance of Mucosal Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 RNA and Symptom Persistence

Abstract

Abstract Serial blood and mucosal samples were characterized for 102 participants enrolled a median of 7.0 days after coronavirus disease 2019 diagnosis. Mucosal RNA was detectable for a median of 31.5 (95% confidence interval [CI], 20.5–63.5) days, with persistence ≥1 month associated with obesity (body mass index [BMI] ≥30 kg/m2; odds ratio [OR], 3.9 [95% CI, 1.2–13.8]) but not age, sex, or chronic conditions. Fifteen participants had likely reinfection; lower serum anti-spike IgG levels were associated with reinfection risk. Nearly half of participants (47%) reported symptoms lasting ≥2–3 months; persistence ≥3 months was associated with BMI ≥30 kg/m2 (OR, 4.2 [95% CI, 1.1–12.8]) and peak anti-spike and anti-nucleocapsid antibody levels.