First Case of COVID-19 Reinfection After Recovery Found in the US: "Symptoms More Severe"

Reinfection in Individuals with COVID-19 Antibodies
Researchers "Unable to Identify Clear Cause...Possibility of Exposure to More COVID-19 Virus"

On the 10th (local time), U.S. President Donald Trump arrived at the White House Blue Room balcony wearing a mask and showed a clenched fist to his supporters. President Trump held a public event in the White House South Lawn for the first time since testing positive for COVID-19 and gave a speech in front of his supporters. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Minwoo Lee] A case of reinfection with the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has been discovered in the United States after recovery from the initial infection. The symptoms during the second infection were found to be more severe than those of the first infection.

On the 13th, Bloomberg reported this news citing a report published in the medical journal 'The Lancet.' According to an investigation conducted by local public health experts, a 25-year-old man living in the state of Nevada became the first person in the U.S. to be reinfected with COVID-19. So far, at least 22 cases of reinfection have been identified worldwide. In South Korea, a suspected reinfection case was first reported last month.

The man experienced symptoms such as cough and headache at the end of March and was diagnosed with COVID-19 on April 18. He was declared recovered and tested negative in May. However, symptoms such as fever and dizziness reappeared at the end of May. Despite receiving emergency treatment, he was diagnosed with COVID-19 again on June 5. The report explained, "Although antibodies formed from the first infection remained in the blood, reinfection occurred," and "the symptoms during the second infection were much more severe."

The research team has not yet determined the exact reason why the symptoms of the second infection were more severe. However, it is estimated that the man was exposed to a larger amount of the virus during the second infection. They also added the possibility of continuous infection involving a specific inactivation-activation process. After experiencing symptoms such as difficulty breathing and impaired consciousness, the man received oxygen therapy for about six weeks and is currently fully recovered.

Mark Pandori, director of the Nevada State Public Health Center leading the research team, stated, "There are still many unknowns, and what our study suggests is that having had COVID-19 once does not guarantee safety from reinfection," adding, "Especially since an effective vaccine has not yet been developed, the possibility of reinfection is an important factor in understanding COVID-19."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.