A man in the US was infected with SARS-CoV-2 twice with an interval of only about one and a half months – and the course of his second infection was more severe than the first time.
This is the result of a study published today in the journal “The Lancet Infectious Diseases”. According to the report, the 25-year-old from the state of Nevada had to be hospitalized and ventilated after his second infection.
Two different variants
According to the study, the man was infected with two different variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The study named four other cases worldwide in which people who had already been infected with the coronavirus were infected a second time. These cases were found in Belgium, the Netherlands, Hong Kong and Ecuador.
It is still unclear how long the immunity lasts after a first infection with the novel virus, explained the lead author of the study, Mark Pandori. But the study shows that a previous infection does not necessarily protect against repeated infection.
This means that those who tested positive „should continue to take precautionary measures,“ including keeping physical distance from other people, wearing masks and washing their hands regularly.
