【Reinfections/Secondary Infections】 What's the difference between the two? Why do people get COVID-19 again after recovery?

In Hong Kong, the cumulative number of confirmed Covid-19 cases has exceeded 1.2 million. Although many people have already been infected with Covid-19, there are occasional cases of "reinfection" or "testing positive again". So, under what circumstances is it considered a reinfection? When is it classified as testing positive again? Today, we will discuss the differences between the two.

When infected with the coronavirus, the body triggers an immune response, gradually reducing the viral load and decreasing the level of contagiousness. However, in some recovered individuals, residual viral genetic material may still be present in the body, leading to a positive nucleic acid test result and resulting in re-positive cases.

Nevertheless, the contagiousness of re-positive cases is significantly reduced. In fact, as early as mid-March 2022, the Civil Service Bureau issued guidelines, stating that during the fifth wave of the pandemic, government employees who have completed isolation as instructed and recovered do not need to isolate again, even if they test positive again.

Before the emergence of the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus, cases of reinfection were rare. Taking the UK as an example, among all cases before November 2021, less than 1% were reinfections. However, due to Omicron's greater ability to evade the body's immune defences compared to other variant strains, as noted in this study, the number of reinfections has surged dramatically.

Nevertheless, Dr. Leung Chi-chiu, a specialist in respiratory medicine, has stated that the chance of reinfection within three months after recovery from a confirmed case is extremely low. However, if significant symptoms appear alongside a positive rapid test result, it could indicate a rare case of reinfection.

Table 1: Main Differences Between Testing Positive Again and Reinfection

According to government information, once a confirmed patient has recovered, completed isolation, and tested negative on a rapid antigen test, there is generally no need for nucleic acid testing within three months of recovery, unless instructed by medical professionals or the government.

As recovered individuals may still be at risk of reinfection and could remain contagious, they should, after three months of recovery, follow the same protocols as those who have never been infected and undergo virus testing when necessary.

10Life previously enquired with insurance companies about whether COVID-19 patients or recovered individuals would face special terms when purchasing various insurance products (such as medical and critical illness insurance), and whether the severity of their condition would significantly impact underwriting. It was found that most insurance companies allow recovered individuals with mild symptoms to undergo standard underwriting one month after recovery.

Therefore, individuals with mild symptoms who have tested positive again should confirm their official recovery date with the insurance company before applying for insurance.

Furthermore, if individuals with mild symptoms have not yet purchased medical or critical illness insurance after recovery, they should do so as soon as possible to avoid underwriting issues due to a second infection.

It is worth noting that if an individual unfortunately contracts COVID-19 and develops complications during the waiting period of a medical insurance policy, the affected body part or condition may be classified as a "pre-existing condition," becoming an excluded item, which could negatively impact future insurance applications.

Note: This article was last updated on 24 May 2022.

This English version of this article has been generated by machine translation powered by AI. It is provided solely for reference purposes. In the event of any discrepancy or inconsistency between this translation and the original Chinese version, the Chinese version shall prevail.