Introduction
Since the emergence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a few cases of reinfection with phylogenetically distinct variants of SARS-CoV-2 have been reported (1). These reinfection cases might be the consequence of a limited and transitory protective immunity induced by the primo-infection or might reflect the reinfecting virus’s ability to evade the previous immune responses. The rapid spread in the United Kingdom (UK) and South Africa of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants carrying several mutations in the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike (S) protein (2,3) granting them the title of Variants of Concern (VOC). Among these mutations, E484K and N501Y are of particular concern since they potentially reduce antibody neutralization and increase affinity for ACE2 receptor (4-10). Of note, the first official record of a reinfection case with the emerging VOC B.1.1.7 circulating in the UK (11) was recently published.
