Methods:
We conducted a retrospective cohort study of ICC at a pediatric hospital
from March 2020-2021. Immunocompromised status was defined as primary,
secondary, or acquired due to medical comorbidities/immunosuppressive
treatment. The primary outcome was time to first-of-two consecutive
negative SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests at least 24
hours apart. Testing of sequential clinical specimens from the same
subject was conducted using the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
2019-nCoV Real-Time RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel assay. Descriptive
statistics, Kaplan-Meier curve median event times and log-rank tests
were used to compare outcomes between groups. Results:
Ninety-one children met inclusion criteria. Median age was 15.5 years
(IQR 8-18 yrs), 64% were male, 58% were white, and 43% were
Hispanic/Latinx. Most (67%) were tested in outpatient settings and 58%
were asymptomatic. The median time to two negative tests was 42 days
(IQR 25.0-55.0 days), with no differences in median time by illness
presentation or level of immunosuppression. Seven children had
>1 sample available for repeat testing, and 5/7 (71%)
children had initial CT values of <30,
(moderate to high viral load); 4 children had CT values
of <30 3-4 weeks later, suggesting persistent moderate to high
viral loads.