25-Year Old Man Is the First to Be Reinfected With COVID-19 in the U.S.
A 25-year-old man from Nevada is the first U.S. resident to have tested positive for the new SARS-CoV-2 virus twice. Reports from The Lancet Infectious Diseases state that the first positive test was taken in the middle of April and the second one was taken in June.
Right now, this patient is the only person who experienced symptoms after the COVID-19 infection and reinfection in the U.S.
The first infection
The patient first exhibited common symptoms for a COVID-19 infection at the beginning of April. Although he had no underlying health conditions or other risk factors, he did go through the following signs:
- Sore throat
- Headaches
- Cough
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
Soon enough, the patient went to a community testing event in Washoe County, Nevada, to get tested. As soon as the positive test results came, the patient went into isolation; over the course of 14 days, all of his symptoms went away and he healed from the virus.
Same infection, new symptoms
The patient stayed perfectly healthy for a little over a month only to start experiencing the exact same symptoms again on May 28th. More precisely, the 25-year old suffered from nausea, cough, headache and diarrhea all over again; additionally, this time he also reported feeling dizzy and having a fever.
Once the symptoms became more severe, the patient went to an urgent care clinic for help. There, he had a chest x-ray done, which didn’t show anything unusual, hence the man was sent home.
Only five days later, the patient returned to a primary care doctor reporting shortness of breath and hypoxia (dangerously low oxygen levels). He received oxygen immediately and was sent to the emergency room. There, specialists concluded that the second infection brought more severe symptoms than the first one.
Another name on the reinfections list
This is the first known case of a U.S. citizen suffering from COVID-19 infection twice. On a worldwide scale, though, many other similar cases have been reported in Ecuador, Belgium, Hong Kong and the Netherlands.
Right now, the most important question on Americans’ lips is:
Does this mean we could get COVID-19 twice?
Well, not necessarily.
So far, researchers know that the body naturally produces antibodies following a SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, we still have no idea for how long these antibodies are effective. This small number of reinfections proves that, for some people, antibodies may not last for very long, although there is very limited information to prove the theory.
This is just one more reason why everyone should maintain all safety precautions recommended by the CDC – even those who have already contacted the virus in the past.
As a quick reminder, here are the main official recommendations:
- Wear a face mask in any public facility
- Wash your hands as frequently as possible for at least 20 seconds
- Avoid touching frequently used objects in public facilities
- Use hand sanitizer while out in public
- Self-quarantine if you notice any unusual symptoms
 Wellness Captain is dedicated to improving your life quality by keeping your mind and body healthy and happy. While we’re living such difficult times, together we can learn how to find joy and safety in this new, unstable world.
With that in mind, here is some of our most helpful content for the pandemic:
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- Get the CDC’s Halloween Safety Guidelines for COVID-19 Here
What is the most difficult thing for you during the COVID-19 pandemic? Share your experiences in the comment section and we’ll drop a piece of advice in return!
