According to research from the University of Amsterdam reported by Time, a Dutch man passed away after battling COVID-19 for an unprecedented 613 days. Throughout his prolonged illness, the virus mutated multiple times, resulting in the emergence of a distinct new variant. The 72-year-old patient’s prolonged infection duration surprised medical experts, marking the longest recorded case of COVID-19 infection.
The report said that the patient succumbed to an underlying illness, after a weakened immune system due to the virus.
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Evolution of Covid Variant
In February 2022, the patient was infected with the omicron variant of COVID-19, which was once labeled as a “variant of concern” by the World Health Organization (WHO).
He had a blood disorder, and before catching omicron, he failed to have a strong immune response to multiple Covid shots.
Researchers did a detailed analysis of specimens collected from more than two dozen nose and throat swabs. They discovered that the virus developed resistance to sotrovimab, which is a Covid antibody treatment within a few weeks.
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New Findings on Persistent COVID-19 Infections
The scientists at the University of Amsterdam’s Centre for Experimental and Molecular Medicine said that Covid in his body later acquired over 50 mutations. Some specimens also suggested that the virus developed an enhanced ability to evade immune defences in the man’s body.
As quoted in the report, the authors said, “This case underscores the risk of persistent SARS-CoV-2 infections in immunocompromised individuals. We emphasize the importance of continuing genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 evolution in immunocompromised individuals with persistent infections.”
Meanwhile, a latest study led by the Centre for Epidemiological Studies on STIs and AIDS of Catalonia (CEEISCAT) has revealed that people living with HIV who have contracted Covid face a significant increase in the risk of cardiovascular diseases in the year following infection.
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