Case Report
Post-acute COVID-19 syndrome after reinfection and vaccine breakthrough by the SARS-CoV-2 Gamma variant in Brazil

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2021.10.048Get rights and content
Under a Creative Commons license
open access

Highlights

  • Long-COVID 2 months after full vaccination of a health care worker.

  • Headache and blurred vision 18 weeks after Gamma VOC breakthrough infection.

  • Gamma VOC detected 1 year after B.1.1.33 infection by whole-genome sequencing.

  • Continuous exposure to SARS-CoV-2, vaccine low efficacy and reinfection.

  • Does ongoing exposure to SARS-CoV-2 justify additional vaccine doses in HCWs?

Abstract

We describe a case of prolonged COVID-19 caused by the SARS-CoV-2 Gamma variant in a fully vaccinated healthcare worker, 387 days after an infection caused by lineage B.1.1.33. Infections were confirmed by whole-genome sequencing and corroborated by the detection of neutralizing antibodies in convalescent serum samples. Considering the permanent exposure of this healthcare worker to SARS-CoV-2, the waning immunity after the first infection, the low efficacy of the inactivated vaccine at preventing COVID-19, the immune escape of the Gamma variant (VOC), and the burden of post-COVID syndrome, this individual would have benefited from an additional dose of a heterologous vaccine.

Key words

SARS-CoV-2 variants
whole-genome sequencing
reinfection
post-acute COVID-19 syndrome
COVID-19 breakthrough infection
health personnel

Cited by (0)

These authors contributed equally to this article.