Publication | Open Access
Genomic Evidence for a Case of Reinfection with SARS-CoV-2
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2020
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The degree of protective immunity conferred by SARS‑CoV‑2 infection is unknown, and the possibility of reinfection is not well understood. Herein, we describe data from an investigation of two SARS‑CoV‑2 infections in the same individual. Nucleic acid sequence analysis revealed genetic discordance between the viruses from each infection that cannot be explained by short‑term evolution, indicating that reinfection is possible, though its generalizability remains unknown.
The degree of protective immunity conferred by infection with SARS-CoV-2 is currently unknown. As such, the possibility of reinfection with this virus is not well understood. Herein, we describe the data from an investigation of two instances of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the same individual. Through nucleic acid sequence analysis, the viruses associated with each instance of infection were found to possess a degree of genetic discordance that cannot be explained reasonably through short-term in vivo evolution. We conclude that it is possible for humans to become infected multiple times by SARS-CoV-2, but the generalizability of this finding is not known.