Coronavirus reinfection explained: Cases, possibility, how to check

Coronavirus reinfection: The question remains whether people can catch Coronavirus second time or not! (Reuters image)

Hong Kong scientists have detected a case where a man was reinfected by the Coronavirus four and a half months after he recovered from COVID19. Now, apprehensions have been raised over the Coronavirus reinfection. With the COVID19 vaccine yet to be developed, fear of catching coronavirus for the second time looms large. Coronavirus reinfection is a key aspect to comprehend the future of the highly contagious disease that has infected over 2.35 crore population around the world, killed more than 8.11 lakh patients, and plunged the global economy into worst recession.

Coronavirus reinfection cases, possible?

After studying the cases, Hong Kong scientists have revealed that genome sequencing shows the two strains of the virus are “clearly different”. That’s why this the world’s first proven case of reinfection of Coronavirus. However, the World Health Organization has warned against jumping to conclusions based on the case of just one patient.

The question remains whether people can catch Coronavirus second time or not! In April, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in South Korea had reported that 51 patients had recovered from Covid19 but tested positive again afterward. However, the head of South Korea’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention then claimed that these were not cases of reinfection. The virus was reactivated, the official said. In a study published March 12, researchers theorized that it may take a few days for the immune system to completely eliminate residual viruses, which can be hard to detect. During that period, the virus may briefly rebound and, depending on the patient’s general health, there is a risk of a relapse, as per the Bloomberg report.

The Coronavirus re-infection question is important because the human body develops antibodies that protect against reinfection for life. Reinfection after a period of months or years has been found to be common with other human coronaviruses such as MERS-CoV. The positive thing is if enough people in a community develop immunity, herd immunity can become established. This herd immunity reduces the number of susceptible people to a level at which transmission slows and eventually stops, the Bloomberg report says.