A Dutch man had the longest recorded case of COVID infection, lasting 613 days. The 72-year-old patient, diagnosed with the omicron variant in February 2022, developed a unique new variant that puzzled medical experts. This extended duration of infection is unprecedented, as per research from the University of Amsterdam.
The patient, whose immune system was weakened due to a pre-existing blood disorder, was unable to produce a sufficient immune response despite receiving multiple Covid vaccines. The infection persisted after he contracted the omicron variant in February 2022. Efforts to combat the virus with treatments, including sotrovimab—a monoclonal antibody—were unsuccessful, as the virus swiftly developed resistance. The University of Amsterdam’s Centre for Experimental and Molecular Medicine documented the emergence of new mutations within the virus, some of which indicated an enhanced ability to evade immune defenses.
This case not only breaks the previous record for the longest Covid infection—held by a British man who battled the virus for 505 days—but also raises important questions about the management and surveillance of such long-term cases. The researchers, who are due to present their findings at the ESCMID Global Congress in Barcelona, emphasize the critical need for ongoing genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2, particularly in individuals with compromised immune systems. There is a risk that these patients could serve as incubators for viral mutations that might escape current treatments and potentially spread to the wider community.
Dr. Magda Vergouwe, associated with the research, stated, “This case underscores the risk of persistent SARS-CoV-2 infections in immunocompromised individuals as unique SARS-CoV-2 viral variants may emerge due to extensive intra-host evolution.” However, it was confirmed that the ultra-mutated variant had not been transmitted to others, providing some reassurance against the immediate threat of a new outbreak.
While such cases present a public health concern, they also pose ethical questions about balancing the protection of the broader population with the provision of humane end-of-life care. The patient ultimately passed away in the fall of 2023 due to his weakened immune system and the complications of his blood condition, not directly from Covid-19. His experience adds to the body of knowledge about the virus’s behavior in long-term infections and the potential for new strains to develop in individuals with weakened immune systems.
There were no signs that the Frankenstein-esque mutated variant infected other people.
Though a 20-month-long covid that mutated seems frightening, Magda Vergouwe, the medical student from the Amsterdam University Medical Center who will be presenting the case next week at the ESCMID Global Congress in Barcelona, said, “The duration of infection in this case is extreme.”
“Prolonged infections in immunocompromised patients are much more common compared to the general community,” Vergouwe said, according to The Sun. “This underscores the risk of persistent infection as unique viral variants may emerge due to extensive evolution.”
Scientists have found evidence from wastewater studies suggesting that heavily mutated coronaviruses may have circulated within human populations for over four years, although not all variants present a public health concern. This case serves as a stark reminder of the complexities of managing Covid-19 and the importance of closely monitoring infections, particularly among the immunocompromised, to prevent the possible introduction of new viral escape variants.
Relevant articles:
– Covid Patient Dies After Record 613-Day Infection Spawned New Mutations
– 72-year-old patient had COVID for record 613 days, accumulated over 50 mutations from virus before it killed him, New York Post, Fri, 19 Apr 2024 10:48:00 GMT
– Longest ever case of Covid lasted 613 DAYS and turned into ultra-mutated variant: Immunocompromised Dutch 72-year-old battled lasting illness that eventually killed him, Daily Mail, Thu, 18 Apr 2024 22:00:46 GMT
– COVID patient dies after record 613-days infection, spawned new mutations, Gulf News, Fri, 19 Apr 2024 09:19:03 GMT