Coronavirus: 91 recovered patients test positive again

Medics fighting coronavirus in South Korea

Seoul health authorities have announced that more than 90 people who fully recovered from the novel coronavirus have tested positive again.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said a total of 91 people had tested positive for the new coronavirus after they were released from quarantine.

KCDC Director-General Jeong Eun-kyeong said a viral test on such cases was underway, with the results expected at least two weeks later, unlike regular swab tests used to test for COVID-19 that shows results in a relatively shorter time.

“We are isolating viral cells from respiratory organs of those who have tested positive for COVID-19 again,” Jeong told reporters.

The KCDC said it was also looking into whether those who retested positive had an antibody that would indicate whether they had recovered, as some health experts said immune people with the antibody were not contagious.

Health authorities in Seoul said that the virus was highly likely to have been reactivated, instead of the people being reinfected, as they tested positive again in a relatively short time after being released from quarantine.