Aug 24, 2020 - Health

First confirmed coronavirus reinfection reported in Hong Kong

Sam Baker

Illustration of an hourglass with the sand in the shape of a virus — Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Researchers in Hong Kong say they've confirmed a case of coronavirus reinfection for the first time, the New York Times reports.

Why it matters: A confirmed reinfection would mean that immunity to the virus can be short-lived. As a result, we shouldn't expect any sort of back-to-work magic bullet from any potential source or indicator of immunity — whether that's antibody testing, the use of blood plasma as a treatment, or perhaps even a vaccine.

At the same time, researchers do not know how big of a problem reinfection is likely to be — how common it is, who's most susceptible to it, or whether reinfections are any more or less dangerous than initial infections.
They had already suspected it could occur, but hadn't confirmed it with thorough testing until now.
A young, healthy patient contracted the virus for a second time roughly four months after recovering from it. The patient experienced only moderate symptoms the first time, and no symptoms the second time.

The bottom line: All of the public health and public policy responses to the virus depend on our scientific understanding of how it works — and we're still figuring that part out.

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First confirmed coronavirus reinfection reported in Hong Kong

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