A man has died after suffering from continuous Covid for 613 days.
The 72-year-old patient was hospitalised with the virus in February 2022 and never recovered before he passed away in Amsterdam last October.
The 20-month infection is believed to be the longest-ever recorded case of coronavirus.
Medics revealed that the man had a serious immune condition and cancer meant that he did not have sufficient white blood cells to battle the disease and he was hospitalised a number of times as his symptoms worsened.
Magda Vergouwe, a medical student at Amsterdam's University Medical Center, said: "The duration of infection in this case is extreme.
"Prolonged infections in immunocompromised patients are much more common compared to the general community.
"This underscores the risk of persistent infection as unique viral variants may emerge due to extensive evolution."