SYDNEY, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- Authorities in the Australian State of Victoria suspect they have recorded a rare case of COVID-19 reinfection, after a man tested positive on Tuesday having initially contracted the disease in July.

Victorian State Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed on Wednesday that the case was being treated as a reinfection.

"The person from yesterday who tested positive twice, the first time back in July, he is currently regarded as a reinfection of coronavirus, so he will be recorded as a positive case," Andrews said.

Officials previously thought that the second positive test may have been the result of shedding, whereby remnants of the virus can sometimes linger in a patient even after that person is no longer infectious or symptomatic.

However Andrews said that health experts had concluded there was insufficient evidence to support the shedding theory.

"It is through an abundance of caution that we are assuming that is a positive case, rather than the person shedding after the original infection," he said.

Only a handful of COVID-19 reinfections have been recorded globally so far and experts believe the cases would be mild or asymptomatic due to an immune response already being developed.

Andrews flagged the possibility that Australian authorities were acting overly cautiously in labelling the case a potential reinfection, however he said that in the interest of public safety it was the best path.

"This is understandably frustrating for everyone involved, whether this is in fact a positive case or not, but we do take a very cautious approach, and I think that is the best way to go," he said. Enditem

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