UK doctors treated what they think is the longest Covid infection on record: 505 days. The patient was immunocompromised and eventually died.
The patient first caught Covid in early 2020. They had symptoms and the infection was confirmed with a PCR test. They were in and out of hospital many times over the next 72 weeks, for both routine checks and care. On each occasion – about 50 in all – they tested positive, meaning they still had Covid. The doctors, from King's College London and Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, say detailed lab analysis revealed it was the same, persistent infection, rather than repeated bouts.
A hopeful possibility from this patient's experience: "Someone with a chronic infection might not be contagious."
