South Korea reported Friday that almost 100 patients thought to have recovered from the new coronavirus had tested positive again, sparking fears that populations could become re-infected with COVID-19.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that 91 people who had previously been cleared of the virus had tested positive. The KCDC had said the number had risen from 51 cases reported earlier in the week.
KCDC director Jeong Eun-kyeong said Friday that health investigators were still working to determine whether the patients had been “reactivated” rather than being re-infected.
“While we are putting more weight on reactivation as the possible cause, we are conducting a comprehensive study on this,” Jeong said, according to Reuters.
“There have been many cases when a patient during treatment will test negative one day and positive another.”
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The question about reinfection also arose last month after health officials in Japan said a woman who had been declared virus-free had tested positive again.
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