Thereinfection of two doctors with coronavirus at the Goa Medical CollegeHospital, Bambolim, four months after recovering from the virus, has sentshockwaves across the medical fraternity and citizens. It is believed thoughthese are not the first known instances of reinfection in Goa, they are thefirst cases arising among the frontline workers. Initially, the impression wasthat a person once infected develops immunity. The grim reality is that this isnot the case. It may be recalled that Mumbai reported its first case ofcoronavirus reinfection among a doctor at Sion Hospital. Research conducted bytwo Mumbai hospitals on four infected patients found that all had a more severeinfection the second time. It is understood that the first Covid-19 reinfectionwas reported in Hong Kong on August 24. More cases of reinfection were reportedfrom Belgium, the Netherlands and the US. All this goes to prove thatpost-Covid-19 management is of vital importance. Thankfully, the Goa governmentis planning to put in place a post-Covid-19 management system in all theprimary health centres in the state to assess the re-infection of the virus.This is a step in the right direction as those who are re-infected afterrecovering could also spread the virus.
