Immunity blow as man of 25 gets virus twice in just 6 weeks

BEATING Covid may not guarantee immunity, growing evidence suggested last night – after a 25-year- old man caught two slightly different strains in six weeks.

Alarmingly, the second infection hit him harder than the first, with the American patient requiring hospitalisation with oxygen support.

UK experts yesterday described the case as very concerning.

It comes after President Donald Trump claimed to be immune after being given the all- clear from Covid, describing the ‘protective glow’ he feels against the virus.

The new case is only the fifth globally in which someone has been definitely proved to have been reinfected with Covid.

In previous cases the second infection has tended to be asymptomatic, raising hopes that even if survivors are not immune, they may at least be protected against a bad repeat bout. Last night’s revelation, published in the Lancet Infectious Diseases journal, suggests that may not be the case.

Lead author Dr Mark Pandori, of the University of Nevada, said: ‘There are still many unknowns about infections and the immune system’s response, but our findings signal that a previous infection may not necessarily protect against future infection.

‘It also strongly suggests that individuals who have tested positive should continue to take serious precautions.’

The patient, from Washoe County, Nevada, tested positive for Covid back in April. He later tested negative on two occasions, before testing positive again in June.

On that occasion he suffered fever, a headache, dizziness, coughing, nausea and digestive problems. He later recovered.

Dr Simon Clarke, of the University of Reading, said: ‘Initial over-confident predictions that once you’d had it, you couldn’t get it again, were opinions rather than facts. It is becoming increasingly clear that reinfections are possible.’

He added: ‘It might prove to be a rare phenomenon, but it’s equally possible that these could be the first few cases and that there are many more to come.

‘The implications of more widespread reinfection are that herd immunity would not work.’