Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42399833›Full record

ArticleBMC infectious diseases2026

Association between clinical symptoms and time to pharyngeal PCR negativity among mild omicron COVID-19 patients: a retrospective study.

Hui Feng, Xiang Hong, Shanhu Qiu, Shaolei Ma, Chen Zhou, Yingzi Huang

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Article in BMC infectious diseases, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Hui FengTraditional Chinese Medicine Department, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Xiang HongDepartment of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, China.
Shanhu QiuGeneral Practice Department, Zhongda Hospital, Institute of Diabetes, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Shaolei MaEmergency Department, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Chen ZhouPublic Health Department, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Yingzi HuangCritical Care Medicine Department, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, No. 87 Dingjiaqiao Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210009, China. yz_huang@126.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9853-411X

Funding

Jiangsu Province Key research and development Program (Social Development) Special Project grant number BE2021734Jiangsu Province Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Collaborative Flagship Hospital Construction Project grant number CZXM-ZK-33Jiangsu Provincial High-Level Hospital Discipline Construction Project grant number 2024GSPKY24National Key R&D Program of China grant number 2022YFC2304600National Natural Science Foundation of China grant number 82272235National Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Flagship Department Construction Project - Intensive Care Medicine grant number CZXM-ZK-46Project of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Collaborative Medical Research, Zhongda Hospital Affiliated to Southeast University grant number 2023zxyxt16Zhongda Hospital Affiliated to Southeast University, Jiangsu Province High-Level Hospital Construction Funds GSP-LCYJFH26
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe time to pharyngeal polymerase chain reaction (PCR) negativity (TPCRN) in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is influenced by multiple factors. This study aimed to investigate the association between clinical symptoms of COVID-19 patients and TPCRN.

methodsThis retrospective study enrolled 486 participants with COVID-19, aged 18-89 years, who were admitted to Shanghai Lingang Makeshift Hospital between April 10, 2022, and May 20, 2022. Clinical data, including patient demographics, clinical symptoms, and TPCRN, were collected and analyzed.

resultsThis study enrolled COVID-19 patients with a median age of 38 years, consisting of 66.05% males and 33.95% females. Stepwise (forward selection) analyses revealed a positive association between TPCRN and the clinical symptoms of throat pain (B = 1.277, 95% CI = 0.592-1.962, P < 0.001) and diarrhea (B = 1.445, 95% CI = 0.382-2.508, P = 0.008) in COVID-19 patients. Logistic regression analysis indicated that throat pain was associated with a lower 7-day negative nucleic acid conversion rate (OR = 0.584, 95% CI:0.362-0.943, P = 0.028), as was diarrhea (OR = 0.435, 95% CI:0.220-0.860, P = 0.017).

conclusionOur findings indicate that throat pain and diarrhea are associated with a longer time to pharyngeal polymerase chain reaction (PCR) negativity. These results may assist in identifying high-risk patients with delayed viral clearance and provide a reference for optimizing clinical management strategies for this patient population. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.

Indexed as

COVID-19COVID-19 Nucleic Acid TestingPharynxSARS-CoV-2AdolescentAdultAgedAged, 80 and overChinaFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPolymerase Chain ReactionRetrospective StudiesTime Factors7-day negative nucleic acid conversion rateClinical symptomsCOVID-19SARS-CoV-2 omicron variantTime to pharyngeal PCR negativity (TPCRN)

Identifiers

PMID42399833
PMCPMC13617874

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.