bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

Agencies

A 72-year-old man in the UK had Covid-19 for more than 10 months in what experts have said is the longest-ever recorded persistent infection with the virus.
Academics have described how the man, named by The Guardian as retired driving instructor Dave Smith, from Bristol, continuously tested positive for 305 days.
Smith, who had conditions which led to him having a compromised immune system, is alive and well and now tests negative for the virus.
He told The Guardian: “Whenever I went bad, I went really bad – down to death's door. My wife started to arrange a funeral five times.”
He added jokingly: “I called all the family in to make my peace with them. I wish I'd kept my mouth shut now.”
His case is to be presented to the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) in July.
An abstract, which is to be presented to the conference, describes how Smith's infection is thought to be the “longest infection recorded in the literature”.
Academics from the University of Bristol, North Bristol NHS Trust and Public Health England, said Smith was admitted to hospital in May 2020 with a cough and fever.
A PCR test confirmed he had Covid-19.
He was discharged after eight days but he had “significant breathlessness and went on to have interspersed acute deteriorations associated with fever” which required further hospital admission in August, September, October and December.


The experts noted that in December 2020 a trial of daily remdesivir therapy was discontinued after 17 days had no effect.
He later received treatment with monoclonal antibodies casirivimab and imdevimab.
Smith was successfully treated with the laboratory engineered antibodies, the University of Bristol said.
It added that his health improved dramatically, and the virus was not detected in PCR tests 45 days after the combined treatment.
Long Covid sufferers do salt therapy
The combination of antibodies, by pharmaceutical firm Regeneron, have since been shown to save the lives of some of the sickest Covid-19 patient in a clinical trial, but the treatment regime is yet to be approved for use in the UK.
Other researchers have previously detailed a case which lasted for 85 days.
More than 2 million people in England might have had “long Covid” and suffered one or more Covid-19 symptoms that lasted at least 12 weeks, according to one of the biggest surveillance studies of the coronavirus.




The REACT-2 study, led by Imperial College London, found that more than a third of people who have had Covid-19 reported symptoms that lasted at least 12 weeks, with one in 10 reporting severe symptoms which lasted that long.
“Our findings do paint a concerning picture of the longer-term health consequences of Covid-19, which need to be accounted for in policy and planning,” said Paul Elliott, director of the REACT programme at Imperial.
Chinese study finds most patients still show signs of ‘long Covid’ six months later
The government-backed study was based on self-reported data from 508,707 adults between September 2020 and February 2021.
Symptoms ranged from tiredness and muscle aches to shortness of breath and chest pain, and the authors said that the study may overestimate the prevalence of long Covid as such symptoms are common and not always related to Covid-19.
DPA and Reuters


Hong Kong research using sewage to detect Covid-19 could track other diseases

Bollywood star Aamir Khan nearly retired during Covid-19 pandemic, but ex-wife brought him back

‘Promising’ steps to HIV vaccine, Trump tariffs threaten Chinese profits: 5 biotech stories

Philippine cockfighting still soars even as feathers are ruffled over job losses

Coronavirus pandemic

UK man had ‘longest Covid’ for 305 days, ‘wife arranged funeral 5 times’

A woman writes a message on the Covid-19 Memorial Wall in London. Photo: EPA

Former Ironman champion brought low by ‘long Covid’ describes the symptoms and what it’s like to suffer

Tamsin Lewis waiting in A&E to be seen in May. Photo: courtesy of Tamsin Lewis

Tamsin Lewis, a doctor and former pro-triathlete, fell sick in March with the coronavirus and is still experiencing symptoms 11 months on. Photo: courtesy of Tamsin Lewis

Lewis doing a cardiac stress echocardiogram in July. She believes her case has been so severe as a result of her high-stress lifestyle, which affects immune function. Photo: Courtesy of Tamsin Lewis

Dr Christopher Hui is a British-trained specialist in respiratory and critical care medicine.

Lewis and her daughter. Photo: Courtesy of Tamsin Lewis

Lewis and her close friend, singer Ellie Goulding. Photo: Courtesy of Tamsin Lewis

One clinic that has been at the forefront of treating “long Covid” is The Lanserhof, a health and medical centre with a clinic at The Arts Club in London.

Long Covid sufferers doing salt therapy at a former mine see an average ‘60 to 80 per cent improvement in their physical tests’

A man blows soap bubbles as part of therapy at the former Wieliczka Salt Mine Health Resort complex located in Wieliczka. Photo: AFP

Picture taken on May 18, 2021 shows a woman doing exercises as part of a therapy at the former Wieliczka Salt Mine Health Resort complex located 135 meters underground in Wieliczka, Poland. - One of the world's oldest salt mines, Wieliczka is recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. It is a tourist attraction, but also a health resort that has been offering salt therapy to patients with pulmonary issues for nearly 200 years. It is now also taking in former Covid patients who have been referred through the public healthcare system for three-week stays, as well as private paying customers. (Photo by BARTOSZ SIEDLIK / AFP) / TO GO WITH AFP STORY by Dario THUBURN

Picture taken on May 18, 2021 shows people walking through a tunnel of the Wieliczka Salt Mine Health Resort complex where they will have their therapy located 135 meters underground in Wieliczka, Poland. - One of the world's oldest salt mines, Wieliczka is recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. It is a tourist attraction, but also a health resort that has been offering salt therapy to patients with pulmonary issues for nearly 200 years. It is now also taking in former Covid patients who have been referred through the public healthcare system for three-week stays, as well as private paying customers. (Photo by BARTOSZ SIEDLIK / AFP) / TO GO WITH AFP STORY by Dario THUBURN

Picture taken on May 18, 2021 shows a salt therapy area at the former Wieliczka Salt Mine Health Resort complex located 135 meters underground in Wieliczka, Poland. - One of the world's oldest salt mines, Wieliczka is recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. It is a tourist attraction, but also a health resort that has been offering salt therapy to patients with pulmonary issues for nearly 200 years. It is now also taking in former Covid patients who have been referred through the public healthcare system for three-week stays, as well as private paying customers. (Photo by BARTOSZ SIEDLIK / AFP) / TO GO WITH AFP STORY by Dario THUBURN

Picture taken on May 18, 2021 shows people doing salt therapy exercises at the former Wieliczka Salt Mine Health Resort complex located 135 meters underground in Wieliczka, Poland. - One of the world's oldest salt mines, Wieliczka is recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. It is a tourist attraction, but also a health resort that has been offering salt therapy to patients with pulmonary issues for nearly 200 years. It is now also taking in former Covid patients who have been referred through the public healthcare system for three-week stays, as well as private paying customers. (Photo by BARTOSZ SIEDLIK / AFP) / TO GO WITH AFP STORY by Dario THUBURN

Coronavirus: Chinese study finds most patients still show signs of ‘long Covid’ six months later

The study looked at how patients treated in Wuhan’s Jin Yin-tan Hospital fared six months later. Photo: AP

News

World

Europe

Coronavirus

Health & Medicine


Man cured with antibody cocktail after testing positive for 10 months
Over 2 million in England may have had ‘long Covid’, study finds



The 72-year-old man from Bristol in England had Covid-19 for more than 10 months in what experts have said is the longest-ever recorded persistent infection with the virus.


Coronavirus pandemic: All stories

Coronavirus UK

UK man had ‘longest Covid’ for 305 days, ‘wife arranged funeral 5 times’

Man cured with antibody cocktail after testing positive for 10 months Over 2 million in England may have had ‘long Covid’, study finds

Man cured with antibody cocktail after testing positive for 10 months

Over 2 million in England may have had ‘long Covid’, study finds