Complexities in Case Definition of SARS-CoV-2 Reinfection: Clinical Evidence and Implications in COVID-19 Surveillance and Diagnosis

Pathogens

Meng Ling Moi¹  Lisa Yamasaki¹ 

[1] WHO Collaborating Center for Reference and Research on Tropical and Emerging Virus Diseases, WHO Global Reference Laboratory for COVID-19, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki 852-8521, Japan;

关键词: SARS-CoV-2;    COVID-19;    re-infection;    surveillance;    control;    prevention;   

DOI  :  10.3390/pathogens10101262

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Reinfection cases have been reported in some countries with clinical symptoms ranging from mild to severe. In addition to clinical diagnosis, virus genome sequence from the first and second infection has to be confirmed to either belong to separate clades or had significant mutations for the confirmation of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection. While phylogenetic analysis with paired specimens offers the strongest evidence for reinfection, there remains concerns on the definition of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection, for reasons including accessibility to paired-samples and technical challenges in phylogenetic analysis. In light of the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants that are associated with increased transmissibility and immune-escape further understanding of COVID-19 protective immunity, real-time surveillance directed at identifying COVID-19 transmission patterns, transmissibility of emerging variants and clinical implications of reinfection would be important in addressing the challenges in definition of COVID-19 reinfection and understanding the true disease burden.

【 授权许可】

Unknown