COVID-19 re-infection is a nasty surprise for most people. The fact that we have once again failed to protect ourselves from infection is also frustrating because the body is not indifferent to getting sick again. This is mentioned, among others, by one of the Harvard doctors of medicine, indicating, inter alia, that reinfection increases the risk of complications after contracting COVID-19.
- According to the data of the Ministry of Health, re-infections with the coronavirus concern 10-20 percent. all currently suffering from COVID-19
- The course of getting sick again may be different from the first infection, and the consequences may also be different
- Harvard doctor and scientist points out that the risk of long covid increases with each subsequent infection by 10%.
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There are more and more COVID-19 infections
In the infection report, which the Ministry of Health updates every day on the government website, the number of reinfections, i.e. re-infections with the coronavirus, is listed in addition to the number of new cases. Every day it exceeds 10%, and on days with the highest rates (usually in the middle of the week) it even approaches 20%. total number of new infections.
For most of these people, a positive COVID-19 test result was quite a surprise and an unpleasant surprise. After they fell ill for the first time (as well as vaccinated for many), they hoped that the acquired immunity would allow them to enjoy protection against infection longer.
Unfortunately, the body’s immune response is very individual and tends to decline over time. In addition, the disease is influenced by many factors: from the intensity and duration of contact with the virus (a person infected with it), through the current form (it is important, for example, whether we rest / sleep enough, eat healthy food, or do not stress too much. whether we are physically active and whether we use stimulants), to genetic predisposition, i.e. issues over which we have no influence.
In addition, after two and a half years of the pandemic, the virus no longer has as many contaminants as it did initially – most people are already behind COVID-19. Unable to “choose” from among those who have not yet been ill, it targets people with weaker (even if only temporarily) immunity, and this infects them.
Reinfection with COVID-19 is also not always the same as the first illness. It happens that the primary infection passed without – or only slightly symptomatic, while the course of the second is more severe – and vice versa. The issue of complications after the disease can also be different – for some long covid it will not be a problem, others will struggle with many ailments resulting from infection.
Unfortunately, there are more and more of the latter, and – what is worse – in many of these patients the problems arose in the course of reinfection.
The rest of the text below the video.
Reinfection increases the risk of long covid
Dr. J. Wesem Ulm of Harvard and MIT believes it is very dangerous to get COVID-19 again. One of the reasons he lists is the increased risk of long covid.
«The risk (…) of organ and tissue damage seems to increase with each subsequent infection. Each subsequent fight against the coronavirus is like throwing an epidemiological dice for potential long-term effects” – indicates.
To better illustrate the risk, the expert calculated how it changes depending on the number of coronavirus infections in one person.
«Suppose the risk of long covid after a severe course of infection is low, on the order of 10%, you will have one in 10 chance of developing persistent symptoms of chronic COVID-19, such as severe fatigue, brain fog, disturbances in taste or smell or more serious health problems (including harmful effects of infections on the lungs, heart, kidneys or liver). If you have COVID-19 for the second time, we have another 10%. the risk of such ailments – so people with two infections behind them will be exposed to long covid in 20 percent. Third illness? Considering the infectivity of the newest Omikron sublines, the risk of long covid is 30% » – explains.
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COVID-19 infection is also associated with greater exposure of individual organs to the virus. «SARS-CoV-2 proved to be a much more dangerous microbial enemy than anyone suspected in spring 2020» – concludes the doctor.