Recovered patients may test Covid positive again: Experts

Pradip Chatterjee | MP | 28 July 2020 | Kolkata: A Covid-cured patient can test positive for the virus for the second time if antibodies are generated in lesser quantities and the immunity within the body fails to attain a certain level, feel the pathologists and the experts in the field. 

Incidentally, there have been instances reported in North Bengal where patients have tested positive for Covid for the second time after being cured and this has caused a serious concern among the senior health officials in the state. 

The experts have warned that many more patients can fall victim to the Covid infection for the repeated times if the generation of antibodies is less or the immunity status is not up to the mark. 

Dr Gopeswar Mukherjee, an expert in the field and a renowned pathologist in the state said that the antibody titer in an affected patient must be at least 320. In an ideal situation it must be around 640. If the level drops the patient can be infected for the second time. It totally depends on how the antibody develops in a patient's body. Antibody titer depends on the immunity status of the patient. If the immunity status is not well developed, there is always a risk for the patient being infected. 

"Antibody that develop inside the body give protection to the patient from the virus. If the production level of the antibody drops it would affect the immune system. One should constantly assess if the antibody level in the patient develops before or after his/her release from the hospitals. What is the level of antibody in a patient is a crucial factor. If the immunity status is low, the second attack may prove fatal for the patient. If a patient gets infected with a virus for repeated times it may lead to immunity depression," Dr Mukherjee maintained. 

Dr Mukherjee whose research theory on this topic was already published in an international medical journal, on Tuesday pointed out that the memory cells which are there inside the human body registers whenever there is a viral attack and they can identify the virus in case of a second attack. But how effectively it would act entirely depends upon the immunity system of the body. 

The health experts have already suggested that strengthening immunity status is one of the most important methods to avoid Covid infection. The antibody usually lasts for three months following which one cal fall victim. 

The immunity system must be boosted and antibody level must be tested from time to time especially for those who have recovered from the Covid. 

(Courtesy & source- http://www.millenniumpost.in/kolkata/recovered-patients-may-test-covid-positive-again-experts-414050)