LATEST! More Cases Of Coronavirus Reinfections Emerging Among Cured Patients In China Causing Concern
Source: Thailand Medical News Feb 23, 2020 20 days ago
Medical experts and virologists are concerned about the high number of reinfections appearing in so called 'cured' or 'treated' coronavirus patients in China.
Cases of cured patients getting reinfected have emerged from Hubei and Sichuan provinces and have been documented by Chinese health authorities. To date about 72 such cases have been properly documented according to Chinese authorities.
Chinese physicians sounding the alarm on the coronavirus say the illness could be even deadlier for patients who catch it again.
“It’s highly possible to get infected a second time,” said one doctor.
The physician said that some of the antiviral medications used to treat the virus can have negative side effects on patients’ heart tissue, making them more susceptible to cardiac arrest.
Furthermore certain studies have showed that the coronavirus attacks the ACE2 receptors found in many organ tissues including the heart, kidneys, lungs and even testicles, making them susceptible. (refer:
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/breaking-news!-latest-research-published-by-chinese-scientists-say-coronavirus-might-render-certain- male-patients-infertile)
The doctor added, “A few people recovered from the first time by their own immune system, but the meds they use are damaging their heart tissue, and when they get it the second time, the antibody doesn’t help but makes it worse, and they die a sudden death from heart failure.”
The physician added that the coronavirus has “outsmarted all of us,” since he says it’s able to hide symptoms for up to 24 days or longer which contradicts current guidance that the incubation period is two weeks. (refer:
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/breaking-news-new-coronavirus-can-incubate-for-as-long-as-27-days-before-showing-symptoms )
Dr Ceng Yan, a Professor of medicine at Wuhan University of Science and Technology, however said false negative test results could also be a possible attribute for this phenomena. (
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/breaking-news-china%E2%80%99s-medical-expert-admits-serious-flaw-in-coronavirus-diagnostics )
Dr Amira Roess, a Professor of Global Health and Epidemiology at George Mason University commented, "With many infectious diseases, a person can develop immunity against a specific strain after exposure or infection. Often, that person will not get sick again upon subsequent exposure to it. Regarding this specific strain of coronavirus, scientists are working to answer this question."
Medical researchers and virologists don't yet know enough about the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that causes the Covid-19 disease, to say whether humans develop full immunity after they've contracted the illness.
Accordingly, physicians are not sure that the antibodies patients develop are strong or long-lasting enough to keep them from contracting the disease again.
Viruses can also mutate quickly, so immunity to one strain doesn't guarantee immunity to another.
John Hopkins attributes this reinfections to possible new serotypes or strains of the coronavirus emerging as a result of mutations or “recombinants”. (
https://www.hopkinsguides.com/hopkins/view/Johns_Hopkins_ABX_Guide/540143/all/Coronavirus)
Hence it could lead us to assume that the coronavirus is indeed evolving and mutating. One past study already suggested that a new subtype had already emerged despite claims by many so called experts that the coronavirus cannot mutate.
Many are speculating that already a few strains have since emerged.
(
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/largest-meta-analysis-of-sequenced-genomes-of-the-coronavirus-reveals-a-new-subtype-has-emerged)
Another school of virologists are saying that as there has been no proper definition of the term cured and no proper accurate detailed diagnostics, there could be reservoirs of the virus in the bodies of those cured that could wreak havoc at any time. (there is no supporting studies just of yet to support this though its highly probable just as in the case of the HIV virus.) (
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/is-china-lying-3,466-individuals-have-recovered-from-coronavirus-what-defines-recovered-or-being-cur ed)
For more reports or coronavirus research developments on the coronavirus, keep checking up at Thailand Medical News.
One thing that is for sure as mentioned in our earlier articles, this new coronavirus is going to keep on springing new surprises on us each day and we are only witnessing just a few of the many to come
