The possibility of patients who have recovered from the Covid-19 getting re-infected has yet to be proven, an official of the Department of Health said.
And proving this would require “a lot of evidence,” DOH Usec. Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a virtual media forum.
“Let’s not use the term ‘reinfection’ because we don’t have that much evidence yet to say that it’s really re-infection. Kasi po kapag naririnig ng mga tao na galing sa atin o sa media, they think na ito talaga ay totoo,” Vergeire said.
Several reports in other countries tell of anecdotes of the Covid-19 striking the same person twice.
In the early weeks of the pandemic, there were reports of some people in South Korea, China, and Japan testing positive twice.
Also recently, researchers from Hong Kong reported that a 33-year-old man was infected with two distinct SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, more than four months after his first bout with the disease.
In the Philippines, Vergeire said health experts are set to study cases of presumed re-infection and would provide information to the public as soon the details are “accurate and complete.”
When it comes to contracting Covid-19, she said, “There is no immunity passport.”
“That is really evidence that was given as an announcement of international organizations or experts in the World Health Organization that there’s no immunity passport. This means the antibodies we develop when we become Covid-19 positive doesn’t last long in our bodies, so the possibility or probability to have it (Covid-19) again is always there,” Vergeire said in a mix of Filipino and English. – PNA release
April 20, 2024
