World’s first coronavirus reinfection case confirmed in University of Hong Kong study
- A 33-year-old man from Hong Kong was infected again 4½ months after he first caught the coronavirus
- Covid-19 is likely to continue to circulate in the human population as in the case of other human coronaviruses, HKU researchers say
As the city registered the lowest number of daily infections since July 3, researchers from the University of Hong Kong (HKU) said they had confirmed the world’s first case of Covid-19 reinfection – a 33-year-old man who was struck again 4½ months after he first caught the coronavirus.
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World’s first coronavirus reinfection case confirmed in Hong Kong, a university study reports
On HKU’s reinfection findings, the researchers, who included prominent expert Professor Yuen Kwok-yung, said the study had important implications.
“First, it is unlikely that herd immunity can eliminate [the pandemic], although it is possible that subsequent infections may be milder than the first infection, as for this patient. Covid-19 will likely continue to circulate in the human population as in the case of other human coronaviruses,” the researchers said in a report.
The patient was infected in March and later discharged. In August, he went to Spain and on his return to Hong Kong via London was confirmed as infected.
Presumed reinfections had been reported overseas but the HKU study was the first in the world to confirm the reinfection with rigorous testing.