In Hong Kong, a techie has Covid-19 reinfection, 4 months after first testing positive
His more recent infection was detected through screening and testing at the Hong Kong airport.
By AP | Updated:
Covid-19 re-infection: How concerned should you be?
University of Hong Kong scientists claim to have the first evidence of someone being reinfected with the virus that causes COVID-19.
Genetic tests revealed that a 33-year-old man returning to Hong Kong from a trip to Spain in mid-August had a different strain of the coronavirus than the one he'd previously been infected with in March, said Dr. Kelvin Kai-Wang To, the microbiologist who led the work.
The man had mild symptoms the first time and none the second time; his more recent infection was detected through screening and testing at the Hong Kong airport.
"It shows that some people do not have lifelong immunity" to the virus if they've already had it, To said. "We don't know how many people can get reinfected. There are probably more out there."
The paper has been accepted by the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases but not yet published, and some independent experts urged caution until full results are available.
Whether people who have had COVID-19 are immune to new infections and for how long are key questions that have implications for vaccine development and decisions about returning to work, school and social activities.
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Even if someone can be infected a second time, it's not known if they have some protection against serious illness, because the immune system generally remembers how to make antibodies against a virus it's seen before.
It's not clear how different a virus needs to be to trigger illness, but the new work suggests that "COVID patients should not be complacent about prevention measures" and should continue social distancing, wearing masks and other ways to reduce infection, To said.
The first infection may protect a person from moderate to severe disease the second time around. Two experts with with no role in the work agreed.
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"We've always known reinfection was a possibility and I think this is highly suggestive" that it occurred in this case, said Dr. Jesse Goodman, a former U.S. Food and Drug Administration chief scientist now at Georgetown University. "If there is a reinfection, it suggests the possibility there was residual immunity ... that helped protect the patient" from getting sick again, Goodman said.
However, "if immunity wanes from natural infection, it could be a challenge for vaccines" and may mean booster shots are needed, he added.
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Julie Fischer, a microbiologist at CRDF Global, a nonprofit health group in Arlington, Virginia, said the study gives convincing evidence that reinfection can happen.
"The real question is what this means for severity of disease" if that occurs, and whether such people can infect others, she said.
One expert saw the report as good news. Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine expert at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, said it's encouraging the reported reinfection was without symptoms.
"That's a win as far as I'm concerned" because it suggests a first infection may protect a person from moderate to severe disease the second time around, he said in an interview streamed by the Journal of the American Medical Association.
A mid-May survey by the doctors' information-sharing site Sermo found that 13% of the 4,173 doctors responding believed that they had treated one or more patients who were reinfected. Among the respondents, 7% of those in the U.S. and 16% in other countries thought they'd seen such a case.
However, health officials have also wondered whether people who tested positive long after their initial illness were simply showing signs of not completely clearing the virus rather than being infected anew.
Cancelled Events, A New Global Greeting: The Many Firsts That Came With The Novel Coronavirus
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The coronavirus has shut down countries, offices and even some famous tourist places for the first time ever. There have been some other firsts that were added to the list.
The coronavirus has shut down countries, offices and even some famous tourist places for the first time ever. There have been some other firsts that were added to the list.
While Queen Elizabeth usually wears gloves for public engagements, she was spotted, for the first time in decades, wearing gloves during an investiture at Buckingham Palace — an event she usually attends gloveless.
While the Queen is known for her keen sartorial sense, the add-on accessory was not just for fashion but as a safety measure against the contagious coronavirus, which has a growing number of cases in the UK.
While Queen Elizabeth usually wears gloves for public engagements, she was spotted, for the first time in decades, wearing gloves during an investiture at Buckingham Palace — an event she usually att..
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Recently, Pope Francis took a step that was out of the ordinary and did not appear at his Vatican window to deliver his blessing. Instead, in a first for the Pope, he live streamed it from his residence, in a move that was in solidarity with those affected by the virus. The visual was set up at the main square and aired on big screens. And since Italy is now in lockdown, the mass will be live streamed until further notice.
Recently, Pope Francis took a step that was out of the ordinary and did not appear at his Vatican window to deliver his blessing. Instead, in a first for the Pope, he live streamed it from his reside..
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While toilet paper does offer hygiene benefits, it’s no mask when it comes to the coronavirus. But toilet paper seems to be in high demand worldwide, so much so that it has run out in certain parts. ..
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Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, researchers had said that global carbon emissions would go up. However, China’s carbon dioxide emissions fell by an estimated 200 million tonnes in the four weeks t..
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India is famous for its exports and the latest is our greeting: The namaste. Due to the highly contagious nature of the coronavirus, handshakes are best avoided and so, world leaders are opting for a safer way to say hello, by joining their palms together.
Prince Charles (c) was recently filmed quickly converting his outstretched hand into a namaste, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) and French President Emmanuel Macron have already been using the Indian greeting during official engagements to reduce contact with others.
India is famous for its exports and the latest is our greeting: The namaste. Due to the highly contagious nature of the coronavirus, handshakes are best avoided and so, world leaders are opting for a..
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New York cancelled its St Patrick’s Day parade for the first time in its 258-year history. The high-profile event, usually held on March 17, draws in tens of thousands of performers and millions of spectators. The city’s governor Andrew Cuomo announced that it would be postponed to a later date, owing to a nationwide bid to contain Covid-19.
New York cancelled its St Patrick’s Day parade for the first time in its 258-year history. The high-profile event, usually held on March 17, draws in tens of thousands of performers and millions of s..
