Omicron Reinfection? 2 Doctors Test Positive Just 7 Days After Recovering From COVID

New Delhi: Two junior doctors of a private hospital have tested positive for COVID-19 seven to 10 days after recovering from coronavirus infection.

“Fourteen days ago, the two doctors were symptomatic and tested positive for COVID. Subsequently, they tested negative, but after seven to ten days of recovery, they began showing the same symptoms again. This includes fever, headache, body ache and sore throat,” India Today quoted Max Super Speciality Hospital’s Dr Jitumoni Baishya as saying.

It’s not confirmed whether the two junior doctors contracted the Omicron variant, but it’s quite possible that they have been infected by the highly transmissible strain of coronavirus back to back.

Both doctors’ samples have been sent for genome sequencing.

“There is a possibility that if the patients had a low or moderate level of infection from the Omicron variant, the immunity generated against the variant is not optimum and there are more chances of re-infection. We need to evaluate further as to why people are getting infected after recovery,” Dr Baishya said.

Also Read: Fact Check: Can Omicron-Affected Individuals Avoid Delta Reinfection?

According to Dr Dhiren Gupta, senior consultant at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, some patients have been getting COVID-like symptoms two to four weeks after first testing positive for coronavirus.

“The numbers are very few and it’s not clear whether this is reinfection or some other disease process. The RT-PCR result could be coming positive due to persistence of dead virus in the nose. Epidemiologist should investigate and define the phenomenon,” opined Dr Gupta.

“We need to keep a close watch on symptoms and we cannot be complacent even if we have had Omicron,” he advised.