A Dutch man died after battling coronavirus (COVID-19) for a record 613 days, during which the virus mutated many times, creating a unique new variant, according to Time, citing a University of Amsterdam study. The medical researchers were startled by the 72-year-old unknown patient’s state, which they described as the longest time anyone has been infected with the virus.
According to the study, the patient died from an underlying illness as a result of a compromised immune system caused by the virus.
The patient became infected with the omicron form of COVID-19 in February 2022
The patient became infected with the omicron form of COVID-19 in February 2022, which the World Health Organization (WHO) previously designated as a “variant of concern.”
He had a blood condition, and before contracting omicron, he did not respond well to multiple COVID-19 vaccines.
Specimens from over two dozen nose and throat swabs were thoroughly examined by researchers. They discovered that the virus became resistant to sotrovimab, a COVID antibody treatment, within a few weeks.
The experts at the University of Amsterdam’s Centre for Experimental and Molecular Medicine stated that COVID-19 in his body later developed over 50 mutations. Some specimens also revealed that the virus gained an improved ability to evade the man’s immune system.
According to the report, the scientists stated, “This case underscores the risk of persistent SARS-CoV-2 infections in immunocompromised individuals. We emphasize the importance of continuing genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 evolution in immunocompromised individuals with persistent infections.”
Meanwhile, a recent study done by the Centre for Epidemiological Studies on STIs and AIDS of Catalonia (CEEISCAT) found that patients living with HIV who had contracted COVID had a much higher risk of cardiovascular disease in the year following infection.