Japan confirms first case of person re-infected with coronavirus

Rushcourt71

Japan is reporting its first case of a person becoming reinfected with the coronavirus after showing signs they had fully recovered.

Osaka’s prefectural government confirmed Wednesday a woman working as a tour bus guide tested positive for coronavirus for the second time after developing a sore throat and chest pain. The woman, who is said to be in her 40s, first tested positive in late January and was discharged from the hospital on Feb. 1 after showing signs of recovery.

Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said the government would need to monitor the condition of others who were infected and later discharged as health experts investigate testing positive for COVID-19 after an initial recovery.

As much remains unknown about the virus, cases of reinfection have health experts worried that the illness could remain dormant after an apparent recovery.

“Once you have the infection, it could remain dormant with minimal symptoms,” Philip Tierno Jr., professor of microbiology and pathology at New York University.

“And then you can get an exacerbation if it finds its way into the lungs,” he said.

There have been a number of cases of reinfection in China, particularly in Wuhan province where the coronavirus outbreak originated in late December.

There are more than 200 confirmed cases of the flu-like illness in Japan, excluding the 639 cases from the Diamond Princess cruise ship under quarantine in Yokohama.

The country’s schools are being asked to close from March 2 until their upcoming spring break in an effort to contain the virus, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Thursday.

The outbreak has spread rapidly, infecting about 80,000 people worldwide and leaving nearly 2,800 dead, the majority of which have been in mainland China.

(Source: 'Changing America' https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/prevention-cures/484942-japan-confirms-first-case-of-person-reinfected)

Published on Feb 27, 2020

niya

wow what a reassuring news !(being sarcastic ofcourse!)

Rushcourt71

This story has two aspects to it. One that those who have recovered from it can have it again and second those in their forties can also get it.

bookgod2017

this is scary. was wondering when this piece of news will arive.

enbee

Even the symptoms are not always consistent. Testing is vital. India is not doing enough testing!!

Rushcourt71

In the UK where I live, testing is still limited. Many people refuse to believe they might be carriers, are heedless of hygienic measures to protect themselves and the government itself is concerned more with safeguarding the NHS with too many patients than with saving lives.