2 recovered COVID-19 patients in the PH test positive for the virus once again

The Department of Health announced this Sunday that 2 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients from Davao city have tested positive for the virus again after recovering.

covid 19 patient

Image Credit: Yuan Zheng/EPA

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DOH spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire cited the Southern Philippines Medical Center in confirming the situation of these 2 patients. She said during a virtual press briefing that the 2 had been discharged from the hospital but tested positive again after 2 weeks under home quarantine.

Upon a third re-test, 1 of the patients then tested negative. The other is still awaiting results.

Patuloy po ang pagaaral ng DOH at ng ating mga eksperto tungkol sa posibilidad ng reinfection o reactivation ng COVID-19,” Vergeire said. “Wala pa pong sapat na ebidensiya upang magbigay ng pahayag dito sa ngayon.

[The DOH and our experts continue to study the possibility of reinfection or reactivation of COVID-19. There is not enough evidence to give a statement about this right now.]

Vergeire added that it is possible for a recovered COVID-19 patient to test positive again if the test picks up on the remnants of the virus, which would no longer be infectious. Meaning, testing positive for the virus does not necessarily mean the patients were reinfected.

However, the World Health Organization previously clarified that “there is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection.”

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