Whereas most people can expect to shake off the virus in days or weeks, the 72-year-old had a weakened immune system and eventually died with his infection.
However, separate NHS data released today shows Covid cases in hospital are also rising, up more than a third in the last four weeks. There were 3,390 virus patients in hospital on December 17, up 38 per cent on the 2,452 logged on November 19. This is also an increase of 12 per cent in a week from the 3,024 logged on December 10
But researchers found the virus developed a sotrovimab-resistance mutation as early as 21 days after receiving the antibody. Presenting their findings at ESCMID Global Congress in Barcelona next week, researchers said he had remained Covid positive, with high viral loads, for a total of 613 days.Dr Magda Vergouwe, from the Centre for Experimental and Molecular Medicine in Amsterdam, warned that the case underscored the importance of tracking the infections of the most vulnerable patients, whose bodies could be used as hosts to develop resistant mutations.
She acknowledged there had to be a balance between protecting the world from dangerous new variants and providing humane, supportive end-of-life care to severely ill patients. Dr Vergouwe added that though there's an increased risk of the development of novel variants in immunocompromised patients, not every variant that develops will be of public concern.