The importance of repeat testing in detecting coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in a coronary artery bypass grafting patient

While elective cardiac surgeries have been postponed to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission and to reduce resource utilization, patients with urgent indications necessitating surgery may still be at risk of contracting the disease throughout their postoperative recovery. We present a case of an 81-year-old female who underwent urgent coronary artery bypass grafting and was readmitted following discharge to a nursing facility with a cluster of COVID-19 cases. Despite symptomatology and imaging concerning for COVID-19, two initial reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests were negative but a third test was positive. This case emphasizes the risks of discharge location in the COVID-19 era as well as the importance of clinical suspicion, early isolation practices for those presumed positive, and repeat testing, given the marginal sensitivity of available COVID-19 RT-PCR.