A 72-year-old man who had Covid-19 for a record-breaking 613 days, with 50 different mutations in his body, has been reported by scientists. Despite receiving the Covid-19 vaccine, the man had a blood disorder that prevented him from mounting an immune response. The virus in his body had developed resistance to the drug sotrovimab over several weeks, highlighting the importance of genomic monitoring of nCoV evolution in immunocompromised individuals.
The man’s case is being presented at a medical meeting in Barcelona next week as a rare and extreme example of persistent Covid-19 infection. Experts found that the man had more than 50 virus mutations in his body, some of which were capable of evading the immune system. While the mutated virus did not infect anyone else, prolonged illness can lead to genetic changes in the virus that may give rise to new mutations in the future.
In addition to this case, scientists have been studying genomic data collected from wastewater samples of communities with severe Covid-19 cases over the past four years. Their findings indicate that many people may have been infected with nCoV variants without realizing it, leading to prolonged Covid-19 symptoms. A study also revealed that 24.4% of American adults who tested positive for the virus experienced symptoms lasting three months or longer.
This research highlights the challenges posed by persistent infections in immunocompromised individuals and the need for continued research into genomic monitoring of the virus. It also underscores how important it is to continue taking precautions such as wearing masks and social distancing to prevent further spread of Covid-19 and its variants.
The longest previously recorded case of Covid-19 was a British man who had the virus for 505 days before his death. This case emphasizes how important it is for researchers to continue studying persistent infections and developing effective treatments for those affected by them.
Overall, this research underscores how much there is still to learn about Covid-19 and its variants, and how crucial it is for researchers to continue studying this disease to develop effective treatments and prevent further spread.
