Scientists Report First Case of Coronavirus Reinfection

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Hong Kong scientists have reported the first confirmed case of coronavirus reinfection.

According to Bloomberg, a 33-year-old man “was infected with the coronavirus after recovering from an initial bout in April in what scientists said was the first case showing that reinfection may occur within a few months.”

“Researchers at the University of Hong Kong used genomic sequence analysis to prove that he had been infected by two different strains,” Bloomberg reported, adding that the man “didn’t develop any symptoms from his second infection.”

The researchers branded the case “the world’s first documentation of a patient who recovered from Covid-19, but got another episode of Covid-19 afterwards” and warned, “Before this report, many believe that recovered Covid-19 patients have immunity against re-infection, however, there is evidence that some patients have a waning antibody level after few months.”

There has been uncertainty since the start of the pandemic whether it’s possible to be infected with the coronavirus twice.

“At this time, we do not know if someone can be re-infected with COVID-19,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention previously declared. “There are no confirmed reports to date of a person being reinfected with COVID-19 within 3 months of initial infection. However, additional research is ongoing.”