BRITISH researchers believe they have documented the longest-known Covid-19 infection, in a patient who tested positive for a total of 505 days before their death.
The previous record for persistent infection -- rather than repeated bouts of Covid -- is thought to be 335 days, the team from King's College London and Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust said.
One of the study's co-authors, consultant virologist Gaia Nebbia, said the unnamed individual was diagnosed in mid-2020 with respiratory symptoms that later improved.
But they then tested positive about 45 times before attending hospital up to their death.
Nebbia said persistent infection with SARS-CoV-2 -- the virus which causes Covid-19 -- has been described in patients with weakened immune systems.
She and her team studied how the virus from nine Covid patients in London changed over time, concluding that new variants may occur in immunocompromised patients.
"This is one of the hypotheses for the emergence of variants," Nebbia said.
"Regular sampling and genetic analysis of the virus showed that five of the nine patients developed at least one mutation seen in variants of concern.
"Some individuals developed multiple mutations associated with variants of concern, such as the Alpha, Delta and Omicron variants.
"However, none of the individuals in our work developed new variants that became widespread variants of concern."
Of the nine immunocompromised patients who tested positive for at least eight weeks, infections persisted on average for 73 days.
But two patients had persistent infections for more than a year.
All the patients had weakened immune systems due to organ transplantation, HIV, cancer or other medical therapies. They were studied between March 2020 and December last year.
Of the nine, five survived. Two of the five recovered without treatment and two others recovered after antibody and antiviral therapy.
The fifth individual was still infected at their last follow-up examination in early 2022, even after treatment, and had Covid for 412 days.
Should they test positive at their next appointment, they will exceed the 505-day record, the researchers said.
Nebbia said the situation demonstrated the urgent need for new treatments to help immunocompromised patients recover.
The findings will be presented at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in Lisbon, which begins on Saturday (23).
(AFP)
Moglai Bap and Mo Chara of Kneecap perform at Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, Britain, June 28, 2025. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy
Police may probe anti-Israel comments at Glastonbury
BRITISH police said they were considering whether to launch an investigation after performers at Glastonbury Festival made anti-Israel comments during their shows.
"We are aware of the comments made by acts on the West Holts Stage at Glastonbury Festival this afternoon," Avon and Somerset Police, in western England, said on X late on Saturday (28).
Irish hip-hop group Kneecap and punk duo Bob Vylan made anti-Israeli chants in separate shows on the West Holts stage on Saturday. One of the members of Bob Vylan chanted "Death, death, to the IDF" in a reference to the Israel Defense Forces.
"Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation," the police statement said.
The Israeli Embassy in Britain said it was "deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival".
Prime minister Keir Starmer said earlier this month it was "not appropriate" for Kneecap to appear at Glastonbury.
The band's frontman Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh was charged with a terrorism offence last month for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah at a concert in November. He has denied the charge.
A British government minister said it was appalling that the anti-Israel chants had been made at Glastonbury, and that the festival's organisers and the BBC broadcaster - which is showing the event - had questions to answer.
Health secretary Wes Streeting said he was also appalled by violence committed by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.
"I'd also say to the Israeli Embassy, get your own house in order in terms of the conduct of your own citizens and the settlers in the West Bank," Streeting told Sky News.
"I wish they'd take the violence of their own citizens towards Palestinians more seriously," he said.
(Reuters)