In a new eccentric study published in theBritish Medical Journal , doctors have warned that it might be possible for someone to have two completely separate bouts of COVID-19 infection , something that is notunheard of , but still rare . The findings come after doctor treated a man who had two separate infections four months apart with multiple negative trial in between .
The affected role , a piece in his 40s , had well - controlled character 2 diabetes , was corpulent , and had down thyroid mapping , all known risk cistron for knockout COVID-19 infections . He initially had grievous COVID back in April 2020 and was hospitalize with respiration difficulty and required mechanical respiration . He was address with lineage thinners and other COVID-19 medications and spent two calendar month in infirmary with various related aesculapian conditions , such as kidney failure , a hospital - acquired transmission ( MRSA ) , gastrointestinal bleeding , and breathing machine - associated pneumonia . He eventually recovered and was go off from the hospital to a rehabilitation attention center .
He then get a second contagion in August 2020 , four months after test positive the first metre , and having had four negative COVID-19 tests in the months proceeding . For the 2d infection , his symptom were much milder and he stick around in infirmary for just one twenty-four hours , ab initio .
He was exonerate but returned two weeks later , kick of shortness of hint . He again test positively charged for the virus and was treat in hospital for a hebdomad .
The writer of the causa account evoke that the positive COVID-19 test calendar month aside after testing negative four time in between may mean that the man had been reinfected with the virus . what is more , because he had a much milder 2d contagion , they suggest it may have been due to the residuary immunity he had leftover after the first more severe infection .
" As the COVID-19 pandemic has evolve , emerging reports have shown that SARS - CoV-2 reinfection is possible , such that confident SARS - CoV-2 RNA testing over a long period of sentence does not necessarily indicate persistent viral shedding from prior COVID-19 transmission . " the authors wrote in the general report .
Not much is know about how COVID-19 reinfections work and whether there is full or partial immunity from antibody after the first round of infection . Arare case in the USreported a valet de chambre that was reinfected but suffered a more severe COVID-19 experience the 2d clock time around .
" The theatrical role of the presence or absence of antibodies after initial infection in subsister of a first episode of COVID-19 and its character in mitigating the risk of SARS - CoV-2 reinfection is not clearly defined . It is plausible , however , that wane immunity or absence of antibodies after the first instalment of SARS CoV-2 infection may make one more susceptible to reinfection . " the author said in astatement .
Only around 100 cases of reinfection have been reported around the mankind so it come along currently that reinfection is rare . However , more work will need to be carried out to understand foresighted - terminus immunity and the chances of being reinfected , especially now that variousnew variantsof SARS - CoV-2 have emerge around the world .
