A man who had Covid-19 for 411 days was finally cleared of the virus thanks to a mix of drugs, doctors have reported.
The man, now 59, was unable to get rid of an early variant of the virus, said experts from Guy’s and St Thomas’s NHS Foundation Trust, London, and King’s College London.
He is thought to be one of the longest living patients with a persistent Covid infection and has a weakened immune system after a kidney transplant.
Another patient treated by the same team tested positive for Covid for 505 days before he died.
In the latest case, medics detected the man’s continuing infection by analysing the genetics of the strain of virus he was carrying.
He was then given a cocktail of neutralising antibodies (Regeneron) known to be effective against early coronavirus variants, which finally allowed his body to expel the coronavirus.
Covid symptoms - in pictures
-
New research shows that a patient's Covid-19 symptoms can depend on what vaccinations they have received. Getty -
Fully vaccinated people most commonly reported a sore throat, persistent cough, runny or blocked nose and headaches. Getty -
The study also indicated a decline in reports of shortness of breath and loss of taste and smell. Those were two key symptoms in the early stage of the pandemic. Photo: Getty -
In the early stage of the pandemic, breathing difficulty was a common Covid symptom. Photo: UCL
The research, published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, said the man tested positive in December 2020 and, although his symptoms went away, he continued to test positive intermittently until January 2022.
But the medics warn that the emergence of new variants of Covid-19 has meant neutralising antibody treatments are now largely ineffective.
World leaders who have had Covid-19 — in pictures
-
US President Joe Biden tested positive for Covid-19 in July 2022. Reuters -
Former US president Donald Trump gives the thumbs-up after leaving the Walter Reed Medical Centre in Bethesda, Maryland, where he was treated for Covid-19 in October 2020. AFP -
Mr Trump removes his mask after returning to the White House from hospital in October 2020. AFP -
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune spent a month in Germany in January 2021, where he had surgery after developing complications linked to Covid-19. AFP -
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II had Covid-19 in February 2022, months before her death. AFP -
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson caught Covid-19 in March 2020. AFP -
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tested positive for Covid-19 a second time in July 2022, six months after he first contracted the virus. Reuters -
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador tested positive for Covid-19 in January 2022, after having first contracted the coronavirus in early 2021. AP -
Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro tested positive for Covid-19 in July 2020. Reuters -
Departing Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi contracted the virus that causes Covid-19 in April 2022. EPA
“Some new variants of the virus are resistant to all the antibody treatments available in the UK and Europe," said Dr Luke Snell, from Guy’s and St Thomas’s.
“Some people with weakened immune systems are still at risk of severe illness and becoming persistently infected. We are still working to understand the best way to protect and treat them.”
Turkish man has 78 positive Covid-19 test results – in pictures
-
Turkish man Muzaffer Kayasan has had 78 positive Covid-19 tests. All photos by Reuters -
He has had to self-isolate for 14 straight months. -
Mr Kayasan's medicines are helping to control symptoms. -
Mr Kayasan, who lives in Istanbul, chats with his granddaughter Azra, while maintaining a safe distance. -
He administers eye drops as he rests at home. -
Mr Kayasan tries to keep as active as possible, despite being confined to his home. -
Regular visits from his granddaughter have helped Mr Kayasan to stay positive during his ordeal.
