Nevada Man Hospitalized After Apparent Coronavirus Reinfection

Nevada scientists are the latest to report cases of reinfection with the coronavirus that cause covid-19, and genetic evidence supports their claims. It’s unclear if reinfection will be a common phenomenon, but in this latest case, a second infection can cause more serious illness than the first, even in young and healthy-looking people. Suggests that.

The report is Released As a preprint by The Lancet on Thursday, this means that it has not yet undergone the typical peer review process.

According to the report, the patient was a 25-year-old resident in Reno, Nevada, who tested positive for the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 in a standard RT-PCR test in mid-April. In late March, men began to feel symptoms consistent with covid-19, including sore throat, cough, headache, nausea and diarrhea. He was isolated and reported feeling well by 27 April. He also tested for virus twice next month.

However, I felt sick again in late May, and by May 31, I had been treated for self-reported fever, headache, dizziness, cough, nausea, and diarrhea. He was sent home after a chest x-ray, but five days later he went to his doctor and found that he was deficient in oxygen (hypoxia). Then he was hospitalized. During his stay in the hospital he needed supplemental oxygen and developed muscle aches, coughs and shortness of breath. X-rays showed that he had pneumonia. Upon testing for the virus, he again showed a positive RT-PCR and antibody test was soon positive.

The researchers genetically sequenced the viruses found in patients during these two events. Scientists have found evidence that the two strains are genetically sufficiently different that men are unlikely to have a persistent infection. They also investigated and ruled out laboratory contamination could be the cause of either positive test result.

“Unlike the Hong Kong study, they actually did a forensic analysis to make sure it wasn’t the result of contamination or sample confusion. That’s a good thing.” Columbia University unrelated to this study Virologist Angela Rasmussen said over the phone. “I’m pretty sure what they have presented is a legitimate reinfection.”

There are at least three others report Rate of reinfection with similar genetic evidence in Hong Kong, the Netherlands and Belgium. These events are not necessarily surprising given that other human coronaviruses can reinfect people after a period of time. But the experts I was careful A widespread reinfection of a pandemic is unlikely to occur, and reinfection in general can be rare.

The authors of this report also note that reinfection can be a rare event. However, we are more concerned about this case because, unlike other reports of previous reinfection, where patients had no or mild symptoms of a second infection, 2 I experienced a serious illness the second time. And the authors couldn’t find a clear reason for why it happened, such as a weakened immune system. The man was infected with a second infection and contacted another household member who was positive at the same time, but it is unclear whether the two cases were related or in which direction they were transmitted.

by Research author mark Pandri The patient is discharged from the hospital, Pandri Couldn’t share his current health status Status.

There are no important details to help us better understand how and why reinfection occurs. Man is important No antibody test was performed during the initial infection. Thus, the lack of antibody production during the first infection (a rare but unprecedented outbreak) could have made him more susceptible to the second infection. But we just don’t know either.

“None of these reports of reinfection can actually tell us anything about how common this is, or about immunity and the role it might play in all of these,” he said. Rasmussen said.

So Few people were tested for antibodies in the US in April, Pandri said. And to date, antibody testing is often not part of the patient’s daily screening process. According to Pandri and his team, it’s an ongoing limitation The availability of testing and the lack of extensive genomic testing of patient samples in the United States and elsewhere makes understanding reinfection even more difficult.

Rasmussen said a prospective study that would monitor patients carefully and on a regular and regular basis to detect possible reinfection could better track these cases.

“But that would be a problem given the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised on fewer tests,” she added, referring to the recent changes in guidance by the authorities. Discouraged People who are known to be infected with the virus, but who have no symptoms after being tested. “If we haven’t extensively tested people, especially asymptomatic people, we’ll have fewer cases to identify and less chances to enroll people in such prospective studies. Even with the second infection, there is less chance to sequence the virus from people who actually have the virus.”

Of course, reinfection can still be a fluke during this pandemic, and reinfection causes an even rarer disease. But for those who survived the first seizure with the virus, these cases should emphasize why everyone should remain vigilant about covid-19.

“At the moment, a similar case reminds us that there is no such thing as “vulnerability” just because you are infected and perhaps you are vaccinated.” ”Mr. Pandori Institute, who is also the director of the Nevada Department of Public Health, and an associate professor at the University of Reno said in an email. “Care and alertness, including keeping away from the mask and washing your hands, is still meaningful to anyone. If there are more such cases, then other important things, such as something specific to the biology of this agent. We can do deeper research to see if it has any impact.”