JAIPUR: Amid sudden spike in infections, an
unusual Covid-19 case reported at a private hospital has caught the doctors by surprise.
Despite previous infection, one dose of vaccine and
good antibodies, the patient developed a moderately Covid pneumonia requiring oxygen. Suspecting it to be a case of mutated Covid-19 or new strain of Covid-19, the hospital sent the samples of the patient to
National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune and also to
Sawai Man Singh Medical College.
A 28-year-old dental doctor was admitted to
Rajasthan Hospital on March 15. She was discharged on Friday from the hospital after recovering from Covid-19. She tested negative on Thursday.
It is not the first time she tested positive for Covid-19. After participating in a party, she had developed fever and cough on November 15, 2020. On November 17, she tested positive for Covid-19. She recovered with treatment. Again, after a gap of four months, she fell ill with cough and high grade fever. On testing, she tested positive for Influenza A and Covid-19.
"The noteworthy aspect of the case is that despite previous infection, one dose of vaccine and good antibodies, the patient developed a moderately severe Covid pneumonia requiring oxygen. Her antibodies were 120, which is also a marker of old Covid-19 infection. Moreover, she has received her first jab of vaccine 15 days earlier," said Dr Sheetu Singh, director, Lung Centre of the hospital.
Doctors are worried as she developed Covid-19 second time and this was a reason of concern. "She had been vaccinated 15 days ago. In view of possibility of new strain, we sent samples to
SMS Medical College and Pune," said Dr Singh.
The doctors found the case of rapidly progressive disease with worsening CT scan shadows and score. Initially she was on oxygen for three days. She was kept in specialized Covid-19 ICU having negative pressure of 50 pascal.
With specialized care she improved and became Covid-19 negative.
Doctors at the hospital are worried as despite previous infection, one dose of vaccine and good antibodies the patient developed a moderately Covid-19 pneumonia requiring oxygen.
The doctors are now waiting for the report from NIV, Pune on clarification of the strain of Covid-19, if it has mutated, or it's a new strain or the same virus circulating in the state.