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Updated: Nov 15, 2025

Recombinant Retroviral Production and Infection of B Cells
Published on: February 18, 2011
Possible COVID-19 reinfection in a patient with X-linked agammaglobulinaemia
Sook Yin Loh1, John Bassett2, Emily Jayne Hoodless3,4
1Intensive Care Unit, Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Chester, Cheshire West and Chester, UK lohsy@doctors.org.uk.
Abstract:
This report highlights the case of a patient with X-linked agammaglobulinaemia (XLA) and resultant bronchiectasis who was discharged from hospital after recovering from real-time reverse transcriptase-PCR positive COVID-19 infection having had a subsequent negative swab and resolution of symptoms, but was readmitted 3 weeks later with recrudescent symptoms and a further positive swab. Although there are reports of COVID-19 infection in XLA, for the first time we report a case of possible reinfection. Lessons learnt from this case include the potential for reinfection of COVID-19 in a patient with a weakened immune system and the importance of repeating COVID-19 swabs in inpatients. Extra caution needs to be taken when providing care in groups of patients who have a weakened or absent immune system.
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