Study: Patients who re-tested positive for coronavirus are not infectious

According to a study researchers have found that patients who tests positive for coronavirus after recovery are not contagious of transmitting the infection and could possibly have antibodies to prevent them from falling sick again. As per reports, scientists from the Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted a study on 285 Covid-19 survivors who had tested positive for the coronavirus after their illness had apparently resolved, but they were found non-infectious.

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790 close contacts tested

According to the findings from the study, it suggests that it is a positive sign for the regions looking to open up as more patients recover from the pandemic that has sickened at least 4.8 million people. It is an evidence which suggests that those who have recovered from deadly coronavirus are not at a risk of spreading the virus keeping in mind the social distancing measures. 
According to the international media reports, the health officials tested around 790 close contacts of the 285 cases who re-tested positive after recovering from coronavirus but they did not found any infections. The health officials reportedly said that they cannot say why some of the patients were re-testing positive for the virus. On the other hand, they added that the experts believe that PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test was detecting pieces of dead virus. 

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South Korea eases restrictions

Meanwhile, South Korea has announced that it will reopen schools next week with precautionary measures such as reduction of classroom capacity and use of protective masks. Vice-Education Minister Park Baeg-beom said at the press conference that his ministry was "not considering" any further delay in the reopening of schools, slated to begin in phases from May 20 onwards.  
Earlier, on May 7, South Korea postponed the reopening of the schools for at least a week due to the cluster outbreak at Itaewon. However, the officials now stressed that the high school seniors had to return to school, as they were supposed to prepare for a year-end college entrance exam. As many as 14 people, including nine students, were infected by the 25-year-old tutor living in Incheon city, who had visited one of five gay clubs in Itaewon, the hotspot for infection, during the April 30- May 5 weekends, as per local media reports.  

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READ: COVID-19: South Korea Claims Patients Who Re-tested Positive Are Not Contagious