A 25-year-old man from Nevada appears to be the first documented case of COVID-19 re-infection in the United States, the country hardest hit by the pandemic.
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Tests indicate that the patient was infected with two types of the virus, reported a team from the Reno School of Medicine at the University of Nevada and the Nevada Public Health Laboratory.
The patient was first diagnosed in April after experiencing symptoms of a sore throat, cough, headache as well as nausea and diarrhea, the researchers wrote in a study published Thursday.
The man’s condition improved on April 27 and tested negative for the virus twice thereafter.
After feeling good for a month, the 25-year-old wanted to be checked on May 31 after experiencing fever, headache, dizziness, cough, nausea and diarrhea. Five days later, the Nevada resident had to be hospitalized and supplied with oxygen on an ongoing basis.
Tested again for COVID-19, the results are positive.
Researchers in Nevada examined the genetic material of two coronavirus specimens taken from humans. Their analysis suggests he had two separate viral infections.
The study, which has yet to be peer reviewed, suggests that humans can contract COVID-19 multiple times.
Earlier this week, researchers in Hong Kong said they found the first documented case of coronavirus reinfection in a 33-year-old man. The latter has tested positive for the coronavirus twice this year.
The study – accepted by the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases – found that the man was infected with two different versions of the virus 142 days apart.
“After we recover from COVID-19, we still don’t know if immunity rebuilds itself, how long it can last, or to what extent antibodies play a role in protecting against reinfection.” , argues Mark Pandori, director of the Nevada Public Health Laboratory
“If reinfection is possible in such a short time, there may be implications for the effectiveness of vaccines developed to combat the disease. It can also have impacts for collective immunity, ”Pandori said. “It is important to note that this is a singular observation. It is not possible to make general observations on this phenomenon at the present time. ”
In the case of Hong Kong, researchers said the man exhibited symptoms of coronavirus during his first episode of COVID-19, but was asymptomatic during his second infection.
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