First Covid-19 Reinfection Detected in Singapore

Singapore’s Health Ministry announced yesterday that a Bangladeshi worker is believed to be the first Covid-19 patient in Singapore to be reinfected.

According to the Health Ministry, the victim was last infected last April and recovered, but felt unwell on the 25th January 2021, before testing positive.

“The virus of the new sample was found to be distinct from the one linked to last year’s dormitory outbreak.”

While reinfection is rare, the ministry in consultation with an expert panel has assessed and suggested that “This is a likely case of reinfection.”

“There was a corresponding marked increase in antibody titers compared to the time before the likely reinfection.”

“He was exposed to a new infection which boosted his antibody levels.”

The expert panel comprises infectious diseases and microbiology experts from the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID), Singapore General Hospital and the National Public Health Laboratory.

“So far, there is no indication that recovered workers in the dormitories have significant loss of post-infection immunity.”

The victim is a 28-year-old male Bangladeshi national, holding a Work Permit residing in a 43 Tech Park Crescent dormitory.

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