(ORDO NEWS) — A patient at a London hospital was infected with COVID-19 for a record 505 days (16 months) before dying, according to a new report.
A patient from the UK with a severely weakened immune system has been continuously ill with COVID-19 for almost a year and a half (505 days). This is the longest recorded infection.
An unnamed patient contracted the coronavirus in early 2020. Over the next 16 months, he went to bed and was discharged from the hospital several times. The patient was treated with antiviral drugs, but these drugs did not help. On the 505th day he died.
New variants of coronavirus may arise in immunocompromised patients
In the new report, the researchers also examined how COVID-19 changes in immunocompromised people. They followed nine patients in London between March 2020 and December 2021 who tested positive for at least eight consecutive weeks.
Patients tested positive for a median of 73 days, with the shortest infection lasting 56 days and the longest 505 days. One patient who survived was a carrier of the virus for 412 days during their last check in early 2022 and could well set a new record by the time of the next check.
The study showed that new variants of coronavirus can occur in immunocompromised patients.
“Regular sampling and genetic analysis of the virus showed that five out of nine patients developed at least one mutation seen in the variants of concern. Some people have developed multiple mutations associated with variants of concern, such as the Alpha, Delta and Omicron variants,” the researchers write.
At the same time, scientists note that the new variants that have arisen did not go beyond the clinic and did not cause much concern.
“However, no one in our work has developed new options that have become widespread options of concern,” they write.
In conclusion, the researchers say their work demonstrates an urgent need for new therapies for immunocompromised patients.
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