Doctors and patients have been wondering for months if it was possible to contract the coronavirus twice. We now know the answer is – YES. A 33-year old man, young and healthy, was re-infected with the virus 4.5 months after the first episode, according to University of Hong Kong researchers and reported to the New York Times and Japan Times. The first time his symptoms were mild, and the second time he was asymptomatic. His re-infection was discovered when he was tested following a brief trip to Spain.

The researchers used sequence analysis to determine that the strain of virus seemed to be identical to the one that spread throughout Europe this summer, and probably was responsible for much of the COVID illness and death in the USA, especially on the East Coast. Said Dr. Kelvin Kai-Wang To of University of Hong Kong, “Our results prove that this second infection is caused by a new virus that he acquired recently, rather than prolonged shedding.”

Doctors have reported earlier anecdotal cases of presumed re-infection, but this recent case is the first confirmed by researchers via scientific testing. Researchers hope that evidence from this case of re-infection will shed light on COVID-19 antibodies, and how they mutate and behave.

Researchers wrote in a statement to the press, “Before this report, many believed that recovered COVID-19 patients had immunity against re-infection, however there is now evidence that some patients have a waning antibody level after only a few months.” This discovery will have a tremendous impact on studies and vaccine development going forward.
University of Cambridge virologist Jonathan Heeney commented to The Guardian about this recent discovery, “Contagion by the coronavirus is very serious, especially for younger people who feel themselves invincible. Not only do they put themselves at risk – and their friends and families – but they can continue to suffer from lung disease and other complications for years, and possibly the rest of their lives.”
Now we know with certainty that you can also catch the disease twice.

As one researcher commented humorously, “It’s the gift that keeps on giving.

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