Story at a glance
- Genetic sequencing from both rounds of infection found the Hong Kong man was infected twice by different strains of the virus months apart.
- Researchers said he experienced mild symptoms the first time and was asymptomatic the second.
- The full research has yet to be published and health officials caution more studies are necessary.
New research suggests immunity to the coronavirus that has infected more than 23 million people around the world and left more than 809,000 others dead may last only a few months.
Researchers from the University of Hong Kong on Monday reported the first confirmed case of coronavirus reinfection in a 33-year-old man several months after his first bout with COVID-19.
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“An apparently young and healthy patient had a second case of COVID-19 infection which was diagnosed 4.5 months after the first episode,” University of Hong Kong researchers said in a statement Monday.
The man discovered he was infected for a second time after returning to Hong Kong from a trip to Spain. Researchers said he experienced mild symptoms the first time and was asymptomatic the second.
Genetic sequencing from both rounds of infection found the Hong Kong man was infected twice by different strains of the virus months apart.
“Our results prove that his second infection is caused by a new virus that he acquired recently rather than prolonged viral shedding,” researchers told The New York Times.
The full research has yet to be released but has been accepted for publication by the medical journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.
The World Health Organization’s (WHO) technical lead on COVID-19 warned on Monday during a news briefing that more research is needed before making any definitive conclusions on coronavirus reinfection.
Earlier in the pandemic, several cases of reinfections in the U.S., China, South Korea and other countries were reported, but none were proven with thorough testing.
Researchers have previously said recovered COVID-19 patients can shed dead fragments of the virus for weeks, which can result in a positive test result.
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