The Belgian woman was admitted to a hospital in the town of Aalst, after she fell over in her home. The same day she was admitted, the 90-year-old tested positive for covid-19.
To begin with, the woman must have had mild symptoms, and there were no signs of lack of oxygen or difficulty breathing. After a short time, the symptoms became significantly worse and the woman died five days later, writes EurekAlert.
Confusion after vaccine news
Alpha and delta
BBC writes that the woman must have been ill with the alpha and delta variant, and it is suspected that she was infected by two different people.
This should be the first reported case where a person is infected with two variants at the same time. Now doctors and researchers warn that, although rare, double infections can occur.
Despite her age, the woman must have been in good health prior to being infected. Researcher and molecular biologist Dr. Anne Vankeerberghen tells the BBC that both virus variants circulated in Belgium around the time the woman became infected.
– Whether the double infection played a role in the patient’s rapid deterioration is difficult to say, Vankeerberghen says.
