Mumbai: bmc orders study into covid-19 reinfection

Mumbai: bmc orders study into covid-19 reinfection

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To get an insight on how many patients have tested positive twice for Covid-19, the BMC has asked SevenHills Hospital to conduct a study. With cases dipping, the civic body has instructed


the hospital to try and understand the symptoms, reasons and severity. Health officials said that SevenHills has treated more than 40,000 patients, of which around 700 contracted Covid


twice. Dean of the hospital, Dr Balkrishna Adsul said they will analyse the available data of patients admitted to the hospital through a unique identification number, which has been updated


on the HMIS portal. With this, pre and post-Covid history will be traced of the patients before they were admitted. They will also check for the vaccination status of these patients and any


adverse effects they faced after taking the jab. The medicine department of the hospital, which is heading the study, said that till now they have traced 643 patients who tested positive


twice, and 54 who got it thrice. “It will be a unique study as it will require too much data from patients. Our priority will be to check which vaccine did patients take and what was its


effect. Later, we will check for symptoms reported during the first time of contracting the infection and symptoms for the second time,” he said. Additional municipal commissioner Suresh


Kakani said that the BMC has instructed the SevenHills team to study the risk of Covid-19 reinfection and hospitalisation and also look into the role of immunity acquired from previous


infection versus hybrid immunity acquired from previous infection and vaccination. He said, “This study will be very important as it will help us understand the virus and plan further


strategies based on it. I have directed doctors at SevenHills to take this study very seriously.”