Coronavirus Re-Infection: US Man Contracts COVID-19 Twice; Second Hit More Severe, Finds Study

Washington, October 13: A man in the United States was diagnosed with coronavirus (COVID-19) twice, raising questions about how often re-infection happens and that how much immunity needed to prevent the infection. While the man has recovered after testing positive for coronavirus for the second time, the Lancet Infectious Diseases conducted a study in the rare case of re-infection and observed that the second hit was "more severe". Unmarried Men at Higher Death Risk from COVID-19: Study.

The man had tested positive for coronavirus for the first time on April 18. By April 27, he had no symptoms. Between May 9 and 26, he had tested negative for COVID-19 twice. However, on May 26, he had developed symptoms such as fever, headache, dizziness, cough, nausea and diarrhoea. He had tested positive for coronavirus again on June 5. "The second infection was symptomatically more severe than the first," a study by the Lancet Infectious Diseases noted. Age May Not Contribute to COVID-19 Infection Risk, Reveals Study.

According to a BBC report, scientists say the patient caught coronavirus twice, rather than the original infection reemerging. "Our findings signal that a previous infection may not necessarily protect against future infection," Dr Mark Pandori, from the University of Nevada, was quoted as saying in the report. "The possibility of reinfections could have significant implications for our understanding of COVID-19 immunity."

Dr Pandori stressed that people who have recovered from coronavirus must continue to follow preventive guidelines, practice social distancing and wear a face mask. It had been earlier assumed that a second round of COVID-19 would be milder, as the body would have learned to fight the virus.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 13, 2020 02:39 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).