A 27-year-old woman, who tested positive for the first time in July, is the first case of Covid re-infection in Bengaluru.
Bengaluru:
Fortis Hospital reported the first case of Covid re-infection in Bengaluru – a 27-year-old woman with no history of co-morbidities who first tested positive in July and was discharged after fully recovering from a mild form of the disease – according to the official hospital statement, adding that tests carried out on the patient show that she has not developed any immunity to the new coronavirus.
“This is probably the first reported case of re-infection with Covid in Bangalore,” said Dr Pratik Patil, infectious disease consultant at the Bannerghatta Road center at Fortis Hospital, explaining how the woman developed the disease a second time. times in a month.
“Normally, in case of infection, the Covid Immunoglobulin G antibody test becomes positive after 2-3 weeks of infection (showing that the patient has developed Covid-fighting cells). However, in this patient, the test for antibody was found to be negative, which means that she did not develop immunity after the first infection. The other possibility is that the antibodies were gone within a month, leaving her likely to be reinfected. ” Dr Patil said, adding that his symptoms after the re-infection are mild.
“Cases of reinfection mean that antibodies may not be produced by every individual, or, if they do develop, they may not last long enough, thus allowing the virus to enter the body and cause the virus to again. disease, ”he said.
The finding raises worrying questions about controlling and ending the COVID-19 pandemic as cases continue to rise in India – the worst-affected country in Asia – which has recorded nearly 90,000 daily cases surpassing it today. hui the bar of 41 lakh.
It also raises questions about how long a vaccine would remain effective.
However, scientists in India and elsewhere have said re-infections are rare and there is no cause for alarm yet. They added that more studies are needed for reliable inference, allaying fears that herd immunity may not be enough to curb the COVID-19 pandemic.
Reinfection cases have also been reported in Telangana and Maharashtra in India and other countries, including Hong Kong, the United States, the Netherlands and Belgium.
