Hyderabad: Relapse of Covid in recovered patients?

Hyderabad: In a deeply disturbing trend, it has come to notice in Japan and South Korea that even those discharged from hospital after recovering from Covid-19 are not completely out of danger and free from its yoke. There are chances viral load might still increase and symptoms may surface again. It means the 'cured' people might test positive again.

In Telangana, as many as 118 Covid-19 infected patients were discharged from hospitals. They were sent home, after two sample tests done with 24 hours gap as per WHO protocol came out negative. Doctors say the fortnight period after discharge is very crucial period and that they should follow instructions carefully, staying in isolation at home without mingling with anyone including family members.

Mahboob Khan, Medical Superintendent, Government TB and Chest Hospital, said that relapse (re-occurence of same disease) in Covid-19-infected patients has been seen in some countries but so far none in India has tested positive after recovering and getting discharged from the hospital.

However, not taking any chances, the state medical and health authorities are giving strict instructions to the cured and discharged patients to stay in home quarantine, and monitor their health condition daily and update the surveillance teams on the ground regularly.

Dr G K Paramjyothi, HoD (Pulmonology), NIMS, stated that usually antibodies develop in cured patients, which shield them from falling sick with the same disease again. Once ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) decides on antibody tests on the already cured patients, one will get a clear idea on this issue, he said.

Meanwhile, commenting on the subject, the WHO (World Health Organisation) stated that it still has no answers on recovery and re-infection. "One would expect that a person who generates a full-blown immune response with detectable antibodies should have protection for a period of time. We just don't know what that period of time is. We would expect that to be a reasonable period of protection but it is very difficult to say that with a new virus and we can only extrapolate from other Coronaviruses and even then there the data is quite limited."