An Israeli doctor at Sheba Medical Center, the nation's largest hospital, tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 three months after his first infection. This case reignites concerns about immunity in COVID-19 survivors.
According to a July 17, 2020, article in The Times of Israel, the doctor at Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan first contracted the virus in April 2020. He tested negative in May and June, only to receive a positive result again in July. This aligns with a July 2, 2020, announcement from Tel Aviv University researchers, who reported that infected individuals retain antibodies for at least two months.
Channel 13 first reported the story, noting the doctor was reinfected after contact with another carrier during the initial outbreak recovery phase. The outlet also highlighted this as the second such case at the hospital, involving another patient readmitted with pneumonia after recovery.
Immunity in recovered COVID-19 patients remains uncertain. Multiple reports suggest rapid reinfection is possible shortly after recovery, though some attribute positives to testing errors.
Not all patients develop antibodies. The Times of Israel cited two staff members at another medical center who recovered but tested negative for antibodies, leaving them potentially unprotected against reinfection.
A British preprint study on medRxiv, published June 9, 2020, estimated that 2% to 8.5% of infected patients produce no antibodies. Antibody production appears linked to symptom severity, with severe cases more likely to generate protective responses.
As early as late February 2020, Japanese authorities reported a patient reinfected after just one month, prompting calls for ongoing monitoring of recovered individuals.
