Genetic Evidence: Basis For Confirming SARS COVID-19 Reinfection

2020-08-28

A man from Hong Kong–33 years old–infected with Covid19 in March and recovered in April was the first person to be tested positive for the second time in August with another variant of the new coronavirus. This evidence of infection was associated with genetic analysis; confirmed by the researcher of the University of Hong Kong through genetic sequencing, and suggests the virus causing the second infection was genetically different from the previous one. In the case of the first infection through SARS Cov-19, the scientist suggested that the immune response developed from the first infection prevents reinfection; however, the second infection reveals the immunity response developed after the first infection to be lowered which triggers reinfection. This raises a question about the durability of the immune response developed from the first infection. Through the observation of a person who was reinfected, it was suggested that there were no symptoms developed in the second infection, but, his immune system responded by producing a new batch of antibodies. In addition, the researcher also points out that the recovered people who are prone to reinfection tend to carry the viral fragments from the first infection for several weeks, which can lead to positive test results in the absence of a live virus. This shows the immunity developed from the first infection from SARS Cov-19 prevented the condition of the disease from getting worse, but could not prevent the reinfection. The research is still going on to provide the document to validate more on the reinfection of Covid-19 and its comparison with the previous infection. However, in recent days, genetic evidence has been a basis for the researcher to trigger the information of reinfection of SARS CoV-19 for the first time with a different strain of the same virus.

Compiled by;

Pratigya Regmi

Central Department of Biotechnology

Tribhuvan University 

Source

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00502-w?fbclid=IwAR0EfcnP_buZN8XLpfkbmyG7ZOHsaiVAOnuVGaB2bt6Sh9qrkKm2QjpPyCE