An increasing number of South Korea's recovered COVID-19 patients — 163, or just over 2% of the country's total — are back in isolation after testing positive again. The remaining viruses in patients' systems may be reactivating, officials say.
Antibody test cartridges used in diagnosing the coronavirus move along on a production line at Boditech Med in Chuncheon, South Korea. By Friday, authorities had identified 163 patients who tested positive again after a full recovery.Antibody test cartridges used in diagnosing the coronavirus move along on a production line at Boditech Med in Chuncheon, South Korea. By Friday, authorities had identified 163 patients who tested positive again after a full recovery.
According to Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data on Friday, the age and regional distribution of relapse cases are largely in line with that of the total infections. Top KCDC officials said in recent briefings that the most likely possibility is reactivation of remaining viruses in patients' systems. If a patient had not developed sufficient immunity against the virus or if a patient's immune system weakens after recovery, the previously undetectable level of virus concentration could rebound. Or the novel coronavirus may be capable of staying dormant before reactivating.
But some relapsed patients may have living viruses that make them sick. As of Friday, at least 61 developed symptoms, albeit mild.
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