How long does coronavirus live in your system?
Upstate NY could recovers from coronavirus, only to test positive
Questions over how long coronavirus can live in an infected person's body are still unanswered. FOX 5 NY speaks with a couple from upstate New York who were infected by coronavirus and recovered, only to find out they still tested positive for the virus.
NEW YORK - A nagging question to many people who have recovered from coronavirus is how long does it live in your body?
Ed and Carol Lundergan of New Paltz, New York are finally on the mend from coronavirus, after being sick for 14 days and in lockdown, only to emerge from quarantine to discover they were COVID-19 positive.
“Ed had gone shopping a couple of times, then I went to the health food store, not knowing that we’re still positive,” said Carol Lundergan. “We still could be infecting people, we just don’t know.”
The couple wouldn’t have even known they were still positive if not for their desire to participate in a donor plasma program.
“I’m really worried about healthcare workers and essential workers who maybe had COVID-19 and then they’re told to go back to work,” Carol said.
The Lundergan’s story again raises the question of what the lifespan of COVID-19 is.
“This is why we really need antibody testing and we really need accurate antibody testing. That’s going to solve a lot of these problems,” said John Whyte, M.D., Chief Medical Officer for WebMD.
Some believe the virus goes dormant in people’s systems, while others think the virus may take longer to clear some patient’s bodies. Either way, we won’t know until testing is refined.