{
  "abstract": "Purpose: To investigate the incidence, clinical features, and risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid re-positivity in recovered COVID-19 patients. Methods: We enrolled 441 convalescent COVID-19 patients from the rehabilitation ward of the Fifth Hospital of Shijiazhuang between January and April 2021. Based on nucleic acid test results, patients were categorized into repositive (n = 69) and non-repositive (n = 372) groups. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, and imaging data were compared between groups. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with re-positivity. Results: The overall re-positivity rate was 15.65%. Compared with the non-repositive group, the repositive group presented with a significantly higher proportion of moderate disease severity (72.46% vs. 50.54%) and a lower proportion of patients under 14 years old (7.25% vs. 23.66%). Additionally, multi-lobar involvement ([≥] 3 lobes) during the acute phase was more common in the repositive group (43.48% vs. 26.61%), with all differences being statistically significant (P < 0.001). Laboratory analysis revealed that repositive patients had significantly lower lymphocyte and eosinophil counts, as well as reduced albumin (ALB), aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase (AST/ALT) ratio, and albumin/globulin (A/G) ratio. Furthermore, circulating CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T-cell counts were markedly decreased. In contrast, the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), immunoglobulin M (IgM), immunoglobulin A (IgA), and neutralizing antibody (NAb) levels were significantly elevated in re-positive patients (all P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified the CD8+ as independent risk factors for re-positivity. Conclusion: In convalescent patients, SARS-CoV-2 RNA re-positivity correlates with distinct clinical and immunological characteristics. The CD8+ T-cell level is an independent predictor, highlighting that dysregulated immune and inflammatory responses contribute to delayed viral clearance.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "The Fifth Hospital of Shijiazhuang"
  ],
  "article_type": "Confirmatory results",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 9,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "L. Li"
    },
    {
      "name": "X. Zhang"
    },
    {
      "name": "J. Fan"
    },
    {
      "name": "J. Fan"
    },
    {
      "name": "J. Du"
    },
    {
      "name": "H. Yan"
    },
    {
      "name": "E. Dai"
    },
    {
      "name": "H. Gao"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "A. Feng"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9hgevknjpyvf3.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.64898/2026.09.11.750839",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.11.750839v1.full",
  "id": "9hgevknjpyvf3",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.11.750839v1",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "biorxiv",
      "immunology"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2725|COVID-19 Clinical Research Studies"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7213502922",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.11.750839v1.full.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-09-11",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9hgevknjpyvf3.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:22:53Z",
      "native_id": "10.64898/2026.09.11.750839",
      "source": "biorxiv",
      "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.11.750839v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "biorxiv:immunology",
      "subfield": "immunology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Risk factors and immunological characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 RNA re-positivity in convalescent COVID-19 Patients: A retrospective study",
  "title_text": "Risk factors and immunological characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 RNA re-positivity in convalescent COVID-19 Patients: A retrospective study",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:22:53Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9hgevknjpyvf3",
  "venue": "bioRxiv",
  "versions": []
}