With 505 days, patient in UK longest reported COVID-19 infection, say experts
A patient in UK has become longest reported COVID-19 infection
COVID-19 has gripped the world for the last two years. It has caused immense pain in the form of deaths, job losses, etc.
A patient in the UK seems to have suffered the worst due to this disease as the person has been fighting it for around 505 days.
Well, it is absolutely true.
The patient had a severely weakened immune system, media reports said citing scientists.
At 505 days, "it certainly seems to be the longest reported infection," said Dr Luke Blagdon Snell, an infectious disease expert, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust told AP.
Suffering from Covid for a year-and-a-half, the case seems to have caught the attention of several people. It also shows how important it is to protect vulnerable people from the coronavirus.
The persistent COVID-19 is rare. It is also different from the long Covid.
"In long Covid, it's generally assumed the virus has been cleared from your body but the symptoms persist. With persistent infection, it represents ongoing, active replication of the virus," Snell said.
In Portugal this weekend, team plans to present many such Covid cases at a meeting.
Watch:UK PM Boris Johnson in India: Johnson-Modi bilateral meeting soon
The researchers investigated whether mutations arise or variants evolve in people with long infections.
The study involved nine patients. They tested positive for the virus for around eight weeks. All of the patients had weakened immune systems and had a history of HIV, cancer, organ transplants, etc issues.
Repeated tests were done. When patients were tested, the researchers also analysed the genetic code of the virus. It was done to make sure it was the same strain or not. People didn't get Covid more than once too. The genetic sequencing showed that the virus evolved and mutated.
(With inputs from agencies)