The stakes with the coronavirus have gotten higher. A study in China has shown the virus can still survive in the cured host cells. The bad news is that after recovery, the patient can spread the virus like a walking viral sack! And this will be the condition for two weeks, even after quarantine.
Why does the coronavirus persist?
Most viruses and pathogens have this characteristic and most patients will not be very contagious during the post symptom period. According to Krys Johnson, an epidemiologist at Temple University's College of Public Health, this is good news for everyone who has been cured of COVID-19. Another thing is that viruses in the system will prompt an immune response to it.
As long as the virus stays in a person's system, there will be no reinfection, added Krys Johnson. After coronavirus infection, some will be carriers and others will not.
A study published by the JAMA
This study was published by The Journal of the American Medical Association on Feb. 27, the subjects were four medical professionals from 30 to 35 years old, who develop the COVID-19 and treated at the Wuhan University's Zhongnan Hospital in China between January 1 and February 15. Only one was admitted and the rest were okay. All were given the anti-viral oseltamivir, also called the brand name of Tamiflu.
Specifics of the treatment administered
The four individuals got better, when the symptoms of the COVID-19 disappeared, with dual tests of negative for the virus (tests two days in a row). All were directed to isolate for five days at their homes. Still, samples like throat swabs were taken for five days and 13 days after getting cured.
All the samples showed a positive infection from the 5th day to the 13th day, when isolated.
The results from the samples indicate that recovered patients may still be carriers of the virus.
Conditions like this show the coronavirus can still spread, despite getting cured in clinics and hospitals, but the recovered will not get sick. But at this point, the coronavirus can be spread after recovery, based on data.
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The anomaly of the Japanese coronavirus patient
A Japanese patient who recovered from the coronavirus, got sick again from the virus, according to Reuters. Other Chinese patients have fully recovered from the virus and are not getting sick, unlike what happened to the Japanese patient.
It might be possible that a new strain re-infected her and she did not have immunity to it yet. Another is her system did not totally eradicate the virus, and it reproduced in here lungs with symptoms resurfacing.
Low-level viruses
Other viruses tend to hang around the body after recovery from sickness, according to Ebenezer Tumban, a virologist at Michigan Tech University. Some of these pathogens are the Zika and Ebola virus, that will be present in the recovered patient's body, he added.
They test the four Wuhan patients intending to find genetic fragments in body tissue, said Tumban. He added that Tamiflu must have lessened the copies of the virus in their systems. One shortcoming is the test should be adjusted for sensitivity. For the Japanese patient without the anti-pathogen medicines, the virus increased and are not enough to hurt the tissues, but the symptoms still returned.
These individuals will not be so contagious from coughing or sneezing, because the virus is not as many but close contact of food or drinks, or intimate contact is not advised. Precautions should be done to avoid sharing the disease.
Immunity implications
Most patients will develop an immunity to it unless there is a mutation which makes it different. Once cured of the coronavirus, the person still needs to isolate himself from others to avoid transmitting it.
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