Bandipora doctor who died of COVID-19 first possible case of reinfection: DAK

Srinagar: Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) on Wednesday said that deceased Bandipora doctor is the first possible case of COVID-19 reinfection in Kashmir valley.

“The medico had tested positive again after his recovery from COVID-19 infection,” said DAK President and influenza expert Dr Nisar ul Hassan.

“46 year old doctor from Sumbal area of Bandipora district had tested positive for COVID-19 infection on July 04 and was reported negative on July 15. About two weeks later on Monday he developed severe respiratory symptoms and was admitted in SMHS hospital with bilateral pneumonia where he died next day. The doctor tested positive again to the virus on Tuesday after his death,” he said.

Dr Nisar said the case has raised concern over reinfection among patients who have been declared clear of the disease. “This gives us to understand that people who had COVID-19 can get sick again,” he said.

Dr Nisar said there have been reports that people who recover are getting infected with the virus again. “160 cases in South Korea who had recovered from the disease were tested positive for the virus again,” he said.

“About 15 percent of recovered patients in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen were retested positive for the virus,” he added.

Dr Nisar said they were under the impression that if a person gets infected with the virus, he/she will develop antibodies and will not get the disease again. “But many people who recover from COVID-19 do not develop antibodies,” he said, adding that “a study has shown that about a third of people who had recovered from the virus had very low or even undetectable levels of protective antibodies against the virus.”

“Low levels of antibodies will affect the herd immunity and will have implications on vaccine development,” said Dr Nisar. GNS