Japanese woman re-infected with Covid-19 on Feb. 19 after being discharged from hospital on Feb. 1

She is the first person in Japan to have been re-infected with Covid-19

Syahindah Ishak | February 27, 2020, 02:57 PM

A Japanese woman in her 40s has tested positive for Covid-19 for the second time, a few weeks after her initial recovery.

Tested positive for the second time

The woman, who is a tour guide living in Osaka, was on a bus with tourists from Wuhan in mid-January, according to Japanese public broadcaster NHK.

She then tested positive for Covid-19 for the first time on Jan. 29.

After a full recovery, she was discharged from hospital on Feb. 1.

On Feb. 6, she was confirmed as virus-free.

However, things took a turn when she reportedly developed a sore throat and chest pains on Feb. 19.

After several visits to the doctor, she tested positive for Covid-19 again on Feb. 26.

She is currently hospitalised in the Osaka prefecture.

NHK reported that since the woman was discharged, she had worn a mask, did not go to work and had no close contact with anyone.

Osaka’s prefectural government stated that she is the first person in Japan to have been re-infected with Covid-19.

Although this is a first in Japan, a number of second positive cases have been reported in China.

Possible to get re-infected

Some medical experts have explained that it is possible for a person to get re-infected with Covid-19 after making a full recovery.

A professor of Microbiology and Pathology at NYU School of Medicine, Philip Tierno Jr., said via Reuters: "Once you have the infection, it could remain dormant and with minimal symptoms, and then you can get an exacerbation if it finds its way into the lungs."

However, he noted that much still remains unknown about Covid-19.

He added that the virus appears to go away before recurring.

In another report by South China Morning Post on Jan. 31, head of infectious diseases at the China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Zhan Qingyuan, stated that people who had been infected would have developed antibodies that can combat the virus.

However, they should still remain alert.

Zhan added: "The antibodies may not remain for a long time, so there is still a risk that these recovered patients will be infected again."

Meanwhile, a front line doctor in China's Hubei province warned that a Covid-19 re-infection would be even deadlier than the first one.

According to a message forwarded to Taiwan News, the doctor said it is highly possible to test positive for the second time.

"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."

Top photo by Zhipeng Ya via Unsplash.