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Migrant worker in dormitory is first case of Covid-19 reinfection detected in S’pore: MOH

SINGAPORE — Singapore has detected its first case of likely Covid-19 reinfection, a 28-year-old work permit holder who resides in a dormitory, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Saturday (Feb 6).

A 28-year-old Bangladeshi worker who resides in a dormitory has been detected as Singapore's first case of Covid-19 reinfection.

A 28-year-old Bangladeshi worker who resides in a dormitory has been detected as Singapore's first case of Covid-19 reinfection.

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SINGAPORE  — Singapore has detected its first case of likely Covid-19 reinfection, a 28-year-old work permit holder who resides in a dormitory, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Saturday (Feb 6).

MOH said it had identified the reinfection in consultation with an expert panel after a rostered monitoring testing of recovered workers to monitor their post-infection immunity.

The case, a Bangladeshi, resides at 43 Tech Park Crescent and had been confirmed to have Covid-19 on April 12 last year.

He subsequently recovered, and consistently tested negative for the coronavirus from June 2020 onwards.

But on Jan 25 this year, his test result came back positive for Covid-19 infection, and he was isolated. 

Numerous repeat tests conducted subsequently were also positive for the virus.

He reported that he felt unwell on Jan 22 and 23, but is otherwise asymptomatic, MOH added. He is currently warded at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID). 

All his identified close contacts have been isolated and placed on quarantine. So far, all of them have tested negative for Covid-19.

While re-infection is rare, the expert panel, which comprises infectious diseases and microbiology experts from NCID, Singapore General Hospital and the National Public Health Laboratory, has assessed that the clinical and laboratory evidence suggests that this is a likely case of re-infection, MOH said.

In addition to his positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test results, 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 this year is also genetically distinct from that associated with the dormitories outbreak last year, suggesting that this is likely a different and new infection.

“MOH will continue to closely monitor recovered Covid-19 cases to determine their post-infection immunity,” the ministry said.

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

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Covid-19 reinfection migrant worker coronavirus

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