Authorities: "Patient 25, Fully Recovered, Suspected COVID-19 Relapse Due to Immune Suppression" (Update)

Image source=Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] The quarantine authorities stated that they "presume the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has relapsed" in the case of a woman in her 70s from Siheung, Gyeonggi Province, who was declared fully recovered from COVID-19 but tested positive again.

At a regular briefing on the afternoon of the 29th, Kwon Jun-wook, Deputy Head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters for COVID-19, said, "The patient was quite elderly and in an immunocompromised state."

Deputy Head Kwon explained, "If the patient were a normal person, immunity such as antibodies would have been formed after recovering from COVID-19, enabling defense against viral reinvasion, but that was likely difficult in this case," adding, "Some experts also suggest that the virus may not have been completely eradicated."

According to Siheung City, the patient (born in 1946, female), who was the 25th confirmed case in South Korea, was discharged after being declared fully recovered on the 22nd but tested positive again yesterday afternoon.

Deputy Head Kwon said, "Such cases are not unique to our country; more than 10 cases have been reported in China, and recently in Japan as well," adding, "We plan to review the cases through consultation with the Central Clinical Committee."