In a few discharged patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the nucleic acid test shows positive results again. Whether this is due to relapse of the disease, reinfection by the virus, or a false-positive result at hospital discharge is worth exploring.

A woman with COVID-19 was discharged from the hospital after integrative treatment with traditional Chinese and Western medicine because she met the discharge standards. However, she obtained positive results on a nucleic acid test 22 days later.

Based on this positive test result in a discharged patient with COVID-19, anal tests and coronavirus antibody tests should be combined with throat swab tests to further develop the diagnosis and discharge standards for patients with COVID-19.