Explainer: Are you likely to be re-infected after recovering from COVID-19 or not

Explainer: Are you likely to be re-infected after recovering from COVID-19 or not

The Coronavirus pandemic has got the whole world in a state of reflection, as many look to stay safe from the disease.

Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes

The respiratory disease has already infected millions of people across the globe, while hundreds of thousands have died in the process.

In Ghana, the COVID-19 caseload has now surpassed 27,000, with the death toll also rising to 145.

Explainer: Are you likely to be re-infected after recovering from COVID-19 or not
145 people have died from COVID-19 in Ghana as of July 19, 2020. Source: AFP
Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Ghanaians slam Gabby for saying some people are praying for COVID-19 deaths to increase

Meanwhile, the number of patients who have either recovered or been discharged currently stand at 23,044.

However, a very frequently asked question with regards to COVID-19 is whether a recovered patient can be re-infected.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says it does not have a definite answer to this question.

In April, the WHO told Reuters: “We are closely liaising with our clinical experts and working hard to get more information on those individual cases.”

A publication on its website also said: “The immune response, including duration of immunity, to SARS-CoV-2 infection is not yet understood. Patients with MERS-CoV are unlikely to be re-infected shortly after they recover, but it is not yet known whether similar immune protection will be observed for patients with COVID-19.”

Giving its take on this same issue, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in America also said it cannot confirm whether cured COVID-19 patients are immune to reinfection.

READ ALSO: Akufo-Addo’s staffer recovers from COVID-19

The United States National Library of Medicine (USNLM), though, made a different observation after preliminary findings.

In May 2020, NLM said it seems “unlikely” that a recovered patient can be re-infected, considering existing knowledge on viral neutralizing antibody duration from past respiratory illnesses.



From the above, one could conclude that there is not concrete finding to establish whether or not a recovered COVID-19 patient can be re-infected.

YEN.com.gh earlier reported that seven out of the 55 students who tested positive for COVID-10 at the Accra Girls SHS have been discharged after testing negative.

According to our sources, the seven students have recovered and are doing well.

About two weeks ago, it was reported that six students from Accra Girls had tested positive for the disease.

Ghanaians express fear over final year students in school | #Yencomgh

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Source: YEN.com.gh

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