Based on the study from Korea's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the once infected and now cured of the coronavirus still have a chance to reactivate within their body. This happens to be the case for some individuals who are thought to be cured or immune from the disease after winning their fight against it.
Coronavirus Reactivation
About 51 patients over at South Korea have tested positive, AGAIN. The CDC has confirmed this just on Monday, Apr. 6. They weren't infected again by the virus. However, it seems like the virus has reactivated itself within the host's body, given they were just tested shortly after being released from quarantine.
Jeong Eun-kyeong, the director-general of the Korean CDC, said, "While we are putting more weight on reactivation as the possible cause, we are conducting a comprehensive study on this," Jeong said. "There have been many cases when a patient during treatment will test negative one day and positive another."
In South Korea, a patient is deemed fully recovered if he or she tests negative after two results conducted within-in a 24-hour interval.
In the first half of the coronavirus pandemic, South Korea was one of the most heavily infected countries that had an outbreak of the virus, causing over 200 deaths. This, in turn, drove the technology-driven advancement for tracking infections, as well as one of the world's first massive testing programs, was born. All of these, without even closing down businesses as well as performing lockdowns, unlike some countries.
The Problem Coronavirus Reactivation Poses
Fear of re-infection in recovered patients is also growing in the country where the virus originated from China. Reports from China have been coming in as of late that some are tested positive again after being cleared of the coronavirus and in some of those cases resulting in death.
The problems are plenty enough, might be of the inconsistency of test results, improper diagnosis or treatment that failed. This would put a bad light on those on the front lines who work tirelessly to ensure the patients and our safety at home.
There is one problem, above most, that is particularly alarming. It's that if you are healed from the virus, it doesn't give you immunity over it, which is widely believed to be the case that when you are done having the coronavirus and is cured your body will be immune to it, granted the virus doesn't mutate too much.
On Wednesday, South Korea had over 10,374 coronavirus cases, with over 6,778 released from hospitals according to data that was compiled by Johns Hopkins University as well as Bloomberg News.
Epidemiologists all around the world are already racing to find out more about COVID-19, as well as the cure we so badly need. South Korea is taking point in the tracking of these kinds of cases, which especially marks concern for China since they are now opening their doors again and lifting lockdown procedures previously thought to deter the spread of the virus.
