PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 persistently positive. Virus detection is not always COVID-19

A surface molecularly imprinted electrochemical biosensor for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein by using Cu7S4-Au as built-in probe

“…Currently, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is the popular diagnostic method for the detection of COVID-19 since viral RNA can be accurately identified by this method, however, large-scale application of RT-PCR is limited by its instrumentation costs, time-consuming analysis, and requirement of trained personnel. 2 In addition, it has been reported that due to the high sensitivity of RT-PCR to the fragments of viral RNA, the test for SARS-CoV-2 could be persistently positive up to 3 months in some individuals [2] , [3] , [4] . Recently, nucleocapsid protein (N protein) and spike protein (S protein) have been used as the antigen biomarkers for the accurate diagnosis of COVID-19 since the two immunodominant proteins in the virus can trigger dominant immune responses [5] , [6] , [7] .…”