A MAN in Amsterdam has died after suffering from Covid continuously for a record-breaking 613 days.
The 72-year-old went into hospital with the bug in February 2022 and never recovered before his demise in October last year.
The 20-month infection with “high viral loads” is believed to be the longest ever recorded by doctors.
His medics said a serious immune system condition and cancer meant he did not have enough white blood cells or antibodies to battle the virus.
Most people clear a case of Covid naturally in a few weeks but even vaccines and repeated medical treatment were unable to cure the man.
He had to be admitted to hospital several times because of bad waves of symptoms.
The unnamed patient ended up harbouring a super-mutant unique new variant because the bug was able to mutate for so long inside his body – but there is no sign he passed it on to anyone else.
He died in autumn 2023 because of a relapse of an underlying blood disorder.
Medical student Magda Vergouwe, from Amsterdam University Medical Center in the Netherlands, will present the man’s case at the ESCMID Global Congress this month.
She said: “The duration of infection in this case is extreme.
“Prolonged infections in immunocompromised patients are much more common compared to the general community.
“This underscores the risk of persistent infection as unique viral variants may emerge due to extensive evolution.”
Ms Vergouwe said the case adds to other reports of patients testing positive for the same infection for longer than a year, but appears to be the longest on record.
People with weakened immune systems still receive regular Covid vaccines on the NHS because they are most at risk of illness, even years into the pandemic.
In 2022, doctors at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital in London said one of their patients had been infected for 505 days – thought to have been a record at the time.
The British patient, aged 59, was finally cured in January of that year.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR A SPRING BOOSTER?
This spring’s eligible cohorts include:
- Adults aged 75 years and over by 30 June 2024
- Residents in care homes for older adults
- Individuals aged 6 months and over who are immunosuppressed
Those at the highest risk will be called forward first, though you don’t need to wait for an invitation to book a booster.
You will be invited to have your booster around six months after your last dose, but you can have it as soon as three months afterwards.
If you are turning 75 between April and June, you don’t have to wait until your birthday, you can attend when you are called for vaccination.
You will be given a booster dose of a vaccine made by Pfizer or Moderna, both of which have been approved in the UK.
These vaccines have been updated since the original vaccines and target a different Covid-19 variant.
The booster will boost your protection against the virus and give you higher levels of antibodies against recent strains.
Source: UKHSA