The Brazilian Ministry of Health confirmed on December 10th local time that a 37-year-old female doctor in Natal, the state of Northern River, Brazil, was the first patient found in Brazil to be infected with COVID-19 twice.
The patient developed headache, abdominal pain and runny nose on June 17 this year, and was diagnosed with COVID-19 on June 23. She recovered from self-isolation and tested negative. On October 11, she again showed symptoms of COVID-19 such as fatigue, muscle soreness, headache, loss of smell and taste, and on October 13th, she tested positive for COVID-19 again.
The hospital where she works sent her two COVID-19 test samples to the Cruz Foundation in Rio de Janeiro for genetic sequence analysis. The analysis confirmed that the patient was infected with COVID-19 from different strains twice.
It is reported that Brazil’s health department has previously ruled out three suspected cases of secondary infection with COVID-19 after analysis, and five other cases are currently in the investigation and analysis stage.
Health authorities reiterate their call for increased prevention measures against COVID-19, including those who have recovered from the former infection. At the same time, emphasize the importance of the correct use of medical protection equipment by health professionals.
