10TV: Can You Get COVID-19 More Than Once?

Once you've been diagnosed with COVID-19, can you test positive a second, or even third time?

Joseph Gastaldo, MD, OhioHealth system medical director, infectious diseases, recently spoke with 10TV about how testing positive multiple times is possible - but it might not mean you've contracted the virus multiple times.

"The patient can clinically be over the infection, and the test result remains positive,” Dr. Gastaldo told 10TV reporter Stephanie Stanavich. “The test does not test for an actual live replicating virus. The virus can decay, and as people get over the virus, it can still linger.”

If the test detects a piece of the virus, it’s generally not infectious and cannot cause infection. However, Dr. Gastaldo still recommends following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines until more research is done.

Even if you or a loved one is symptom-free, it's best to continue practicing social distancing and wearing a mask when leaving the house.