Recent reports have said that the virus is spreading even faster and has a rise in the death toll. More and more cases are reported every day and now reaching more than 30 countries, China still has the greatest number.
According to doctors on the frontline in China's Wuhan City, it is still possible to get infected by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) for the second time leading to death from fatal heart failure in some cases.
The claim of reinfection is made by doctors currently working in Hubei Province, the epicenter of the epidemic. As of February 25, China has reached a total of 78,064 infected cases and 2,715 deaths.
A relative of a doctor working in Hubei informed the Taiwan News of the virus' progress. Instead of creating immunity, it hastens death by fatal heart failure. Both the doctor and the relative has decided to be anonymous out of fear that they might face retribution from the Chinese government.
Earlier this month, Dr. Li Wenliang who first raised warnings against the Wuhan virus was rebuked by the Chinese authorities before he died from the devastating disease.
A message forwarded to Taiwan news says that getting infected for the second time is possible especially when only a few of them were cured by their immune system. According to a statement from the Chinese Centers for Disease Control, 81% are considered mild, while 14% are severe cases and the remaining 5% are critically ill and most of the death cases reported belong to the age group of 50 years old above.
It is also said that the virus has "outsmarted all of us", as it hides during tests so as not to be detected easily for up to 24 days. But Chinese pulmonologist Zhong Nanshan said that the average incubation period of the virus is three days and it can take from 1 to 24 days before symptoms appear.
Furthermore, Taiwan News reported that the virus can create a false negative on tests. Some cases are found such as when the CT scan shows both lungs are infected and yet the lab results came back negative four times. It was not until the fifth time that the test came back positive.
BBC and other media outlets reported that some laboratory tests are incorrectly telling people that they are virus-free. There is some anecdotal evidence that it sometimes takes up to six negative tests before a person suspected to have the disease is correctly diagnosed.
Dr. Li Wenliang's tests came out as negative multiple times before he was finally diagnosed and first raised these concerns.
Symptoms of the infection from the virus has a typical pattern and progress and may also cause pneumonia. Those who have prior health concerns are easily infected and have a lower chance of recovering.
Many believed that the Chinese authorities have underreported the number of infected cases and death which causes anxiety to people especially with the false-negative tests that we may not truly know the real numbers of cases. Leading to the sudden rise in the number of recorded cases and deaths, the official methodology for diagnosing the virus in China was changed recently.
