Singapore detects first Covid-19 re-infection case

SINGAPORE – Singapore detected its first case of possible Covid-19 re-infection involving a migrant worker at a dormitory, according to the republic's Health Ministry.

While re-infection is rare, the ministry, in consultation with an expert panel, has assessed that the clinical and laboratory evidence “suggests that this is a likely case of re-infection”.

In addition to his positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test results, the ministry said there was a corresponding marked increase in antibody titres compared with the period prior to the likely re-infection, “suggesting that he was exposed to a new infection, which boosted his antibody levels”.

“The virus detected in his samples taken in January is also genetically distinct from that associated with the dormitories outbreak in 2020, suggesting that this is likely a different and new infection,” said the ministry in a statement yesterday.

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.

The ministry said it will continue to closely monitor recovered Covid-19 cases to determine their post-infection immunity.

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

The ministry said the worker, previously labelled as Case 2513, was identified from rostered monitoring testing conducted as part of its surveillance of recovered workers to monitor their post-infection immunity.

The ministry said the case is a 28-year-old male Bangladesh national holding a work permit who resides in a dormitory at 43 Tech Park Crescent.

He had been confirmed positive for Covid-19 on April 12, last year, and subsequently recovered, testing negative for Covid-19 consistently from June onwards.

On January 25, however, his test results came back positive and he was isolated.

“Numerous repeat tests conducted subsequently were also positive for the virus,” said the ministry.

It said said the worker, who is currently warded at NCID, reported that he felt unwell on January 22 and 23, but is otherwise asymptomatic.

It added that all close contacts of the case have tested negative for Covid-19, and have been isolated and placed on quarantine. – Bernama, February 7, 2021