US Reports First Case of Covid-19 Reinfection, With Second Hit ‘Worse Than First’

By Staff, Agencies

US scientists reported the country’s first case of Covid-19 reinfection, heightening concerns that exposure to the virus may not guarantee total immunity.

A study published by The Lancet showed that a 25-year-old man from Nevada was infected with two distinct variants of Sars-CoV-2 within a 48-day span.

The patient’s second infection was more severe, the researchers at the University of Nevada said, resulting in hospitalization with oxygen support.

At least four other reinfection cases have been confirmed globally – in Belgium, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, and Ecuador – though scientists have suggested the true figure is likely to be much higher.

Professor Mark Pandori, lead author of the US study, warned there are “still many unknowns” about the virus and the immune system’s response.

“But our findings signal that a previous Sars-CoV-2 infection may not necessarily protect against future infection,” he added.

The study comes just hours after US President Donald Trump claimed that he was immune and could no longer catch the virus following his recovery from Covid-19, which has killed more than 210,000 Americans.

The Nevada patient was first infected with the virus in April but did not display any serious disease outcomes, the researchers said.

In June, he experienced severe Covid-19 symptoms, including fever, cough and nausea, and was later hospitalized before tests confirmed a second positive diagnosis.

Genome sequencing of the patient’s virus samples displayed significant genetic differences, implying he had been infected by two distinct versions of Sars-CoV-2.

The US case is the second confirmed example, after the Ecuador study, where reinfection has resulted in a more serious disease outcome.