The table below shows confirmed cases of COVID-19 reinfection. The first confirmed case of reinfection was reported in Hong Kong on August 24, and six others were reported later that week. Earlier cases of suspected reinfection could not be confirmed due to a lack of data.
People with SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19, may continue to test positive for several months without being sick or infectious. A reinfection is confirmed when testing shows each virus’ genetic makeup is different to a degree which cannot be explained through in-vivo evolution.
For a timeline of new cases, scroll down.
Reporting on reinfections is limited. If you believe we have missed a case, please let us know by sending us an email at [email protected]. You can also reach us on Twitter by sending a DM to @BNODesk.
Definitions
- Reported: The month in which the reinfection is publicly reported. Due to the amount of research required to confirm reinfection, the actual case may have occurred weeks or months earlier.
- Interval: The number of days between recovery from the first case and the onset of symptoms from the second case, if available. If not available, the number of days between positive tests.
Timeline
28 August
- First case in the United States. A 25-year-old man from Reno, Nevada, tested positive for coronavirus in April and suffered mild symptoms. He tested negative on May 9 and continued to feel well until May 28, after which he developed serious symptoms. He again tested positive for coronavirus when he was hospitalized on June 5. Due to privacy laws, the research team was unable to comment on the patient’s current condition. (Source 1, Source 2)
26 August
- Three more cases in the Netherlands. One is a nursing home resident who developed a second infection after 2 months. The other two cases are in Tilburg. The first case, a man in his 80s, suffered two bouts of mild symptoms with an interval of roughly 21 days. The second patient, a man in his 60s, had mild symptoms during the first infection but quickly recovered. The man returned several days later as he suffered from respiratory failure and again tested positive for coronavirus. According to Dr. Jean-Luc Murk, this could be a double infection or reinfection before the patient was able to build immunity. (Source 1, Source 2)
24 August
- First case of reinfection in the Netherlands. (Source)
- First case of reinfection in Belgium. A woman in her 50s tested positive for coronavirus in the second week of March, and then again in June. Details about her symptoms are unknown. The woman has recovered. (Source)
- Hong Kong University has reported the first proven case of COVID-19 reinfection in a 33-year-old man. During the first episode, he suffered from cough and sputum, sore throat, fever, and headache for three days. He tested positive on March 26, 2020, and was discharged from hospital on April 14. Months later, on August 15, the patient tested positive again upon his return to Hong Kong from Spain via the UK.He was hospitalized but remained asymptomatic. (Source)