Covid Reinfection of Nevada Man Spurs Uncertainty Over Virus Immunity

PARIS, KOMPAS.com – Patients who experienced Covid reinfection may experience more severe symptoms the second time they are infected, according to a study released Tuesday.

The research finding was published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal confirming that it is possible for a person to experience Covid-19 reinfection.

The study charts the first confirmed case of Covid-19 reinfection of a Nevada man which indicates that exposure to the virus may not guarantee future immunity.

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The Covid reinfection patient, a 25-year-old Nevada man, was infected with two distinct variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, within a 48-day time frame.

The second Covid-19 infection was more severe than the first, resulting in the patient being hospitalized with oxygen support.

The paper noted four other cases of reinfection confirmed globally, with one patient each in Belgium, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, and Ecuador.

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Experts said the prospect of Covid reinfection could have a profound impact on how the world battles through the pandemic.

In particular, it could influence the hunt for a vaccine — the currently Holy Grail of pharmaceutical research.

"The possibility of reinfections could have significant implications for our understanding of Covid-19 immunity, especially in the absence of an effective vaccine," said Mark Pandori, for the Nevada State Public Health Laboratory and lead study author.

"We need more research to understand how long immunity may last for people exposed to SARS-CoV-2 and why some of these second infections, while rare, are presenting as more severe."

Waning immunity?

Vaccines work by triggering the body's natural immune response to a certain pathogen, arming it with antibodies to fight off future waves of infection.

But it is not at all clear how long Covid-19 antibodies last.