'Longest-ever' Covid-19 case: Netherlands man dies after fighting Covid for 613 days
'Longest-ever' Covid-19 case: In the longest-ever Covid-19 case, a 72-year-old man from the Netherlands, man died due to weakened immune system and a blood disorder after fighting Covid for 613 days.
As per the reports, the patient succumbed due to an underlying illness after harboring a highly mutated strain of the virus for over 600 days.
Netherlands man got infected with the omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19 virus) in February 2022. He struggled to mount a robust immune response despite receiving multiple Covid vaccine doses prior to his infection.
Researching and examining analysis of samples obtained from numerous nose and throat swabs, University of Amsterdam’s Centre for Experimental and Molecular Medicine revealed that the virus developed resistance to sotrovimab, a Covid antibody treatment, within a short period. Over time, the virus accumulated more than 50 mutations, some of which indicated an enhanced ability to evade immune defenses.
“This case underscores the risk of persistent SARS-CoV-2 infections in immunocompromised individuals," the authors was quoted as saying. They added, "We emphasise the importance of continuing genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 evolution in immunocompromised individuals with persistent infections."
Notably, long Covid also known as post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), refers to a range of symptoms that persist for weeks or months after the acute phase of Covid-19 illness has resolved
Symptoms of long Covid can affect various parts of the body and may include fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pain, joint pain, cognitive difficulties (often referred to as "brain fog"), depression, and other physical and health issues.
- With inputs from agencies
