Dutch woman dies after getting COVID-19 twice, believed to be first deadly reinfection

A Dutch woman is believed to be the first person in the world to die after contracting COVID-19 for a second time, according to multiple reports.

Scientists report the 89-year-old woman suffered from a type of bone marrow cancer. She was admitted to the hospital earlier this year with severe cough and fever, and tested positive for the coronavirus. She left the hospital about a week later still feeling fatigue but other symptoms had gone.

Two months later, she developed a fever, coughing and breathing difficulties, according to the Independent in the UK, while receiving chemotherapy treatment.

The woman tested positive again for COVID-19 and doctors say she had no antibodies in her blood. She died two weeks later, according to CNN.

Researchers believe the second infection was different and not prolonged symptoms of the first infection. They stated in their report the genetic makeup of the two virus samples from her infections are different.