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1. In February, based on clinical reports from China, I raised the possibility #Covid_19 might be biphasic (persistent in the body after recovery). I suggested governments needed to err on the side of caution & approach the pandemic very differently.
2. Today, various media outlets are covering the story of 51 South Korean patients in whom the virus has ‘reactivated’. This could be a number of false negatives or, as the scientists in this article speculate, it might be evidence of persistence. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8192015/Fifty-one-recovered-coronavirus-patients-test-positive-South-Korea.html
3. When I raised my concerns with British and American scientists in February, in general I received one of 3 responses, and wrote about them in this article. They seemed complacent responses in the face of a novel virus. https://freemarketconservatives.org/the-government-needs-to-be-much-firmer-in-its-response-to-covid-19/
4. In addition to clinical reports, there are individual stories of the persistence of COVID-19. Like the troubling tale of Adele Jiang. It is possible certain people find it harder to shake off the virus. https://today.line.me/id/article/Coronavirus+nightmare+of+China+s+recovered+patients-DPeVZ8
5. We should have approached #COVID19 with maximum care & caution. Instead, some governments have been cavalier in their response. South Korean authorities are currently investigating the cause of the reactivations. I hope they will publish their findings ASAP.
6. In the meantime, governments need to fund studies ASAP. As a general lesson learned from the #coronavirus emergency I hope governments around the world will increase public health funding & support for virology, immunology & epidemiology research.
