Dutch woman becomes first known person to die from COVID-19 reinfection

Scientists around the world are racing to understand how COVID-19 works.
(Image credit: RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP via Getty Images)

An 89-year-old woman in the Netherlands has become the first known person to die from catching COVID-19 twice, CNN reports. The woman notably had a compromised immune system due to therapy she was receiving for her rare bone marrow cancer, but researchers said her natural immune response still could have been "sufficient" enough to overcome the disease.

The woman was initially hospitalized for COVID-19 earlier this year, but released after five days with no symptoms except "some persisting fatigue." Fifty-nine days later, she once again tested positive for COVID-19, and no antibodies were detected in her blood; she died two weeks later.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.