How many times can we get COVID-19? The doctor explains

Covid restrictions are lifted, but this does not mean that we will not get sick with the coronavirus anymore. It is still possible. As a result of SARS-CoV-2 infection, we can get sick two, three or even four or more times.

1.  Bow. Bartosz Fiałek: Whether we get sick depends primarily on the evolution of SARS-CoV-2
2. Among other things, the evolving virus changes by escaping our immune response
3. We can get sick a few months after the previous reinfection. This is due to the weakening of the resistance over time against the next variant, against which we will not produce the so-called cross resistance
4. More information can be found on the Onet homepage

Edyta Brzozowska, Medonet: Since Our Country’s aggression against Ukraine, much less is said about the coronavirus in Poland. The restrictions are lifted, from March 28, 2022, we no longer have to wear masks, except for hospitals or clinics. How do you comment on that?

Bartosz Fiałek, a doctor who promotes knowledge about COVID-19: I consider these decisions to be wrong and premature. For a simple reason: the current epidemiological situation in the world, including in European countries, indicates that we are recording an increase in infections. For example in Scotland, where the largest number of people hospitalized due to SARS-CoV-2 infection in one day was recently recorded, and it amounted to 2 thousand. 322 patients. In my opinion, making the decision to lift the restrictions knowing the above data on the development of the COVID-19 epidemic in many countries, which – as scientifically proven – reduces the risk of virus transmission, disease and subsequent serious complications – is, in my opinion, dangerous from a health point of view. However, it has an economic, economic or social justification. It is not surprising that people want to return to normal.

Meanwhile, you can still get COVID-19, even several times?

It is not excluded. It depends primarily on how SARS-CoV-2 will evolve. We know that the incidence of COVID-19 caused, for example, by the Alpha variant, gave about 90 percent. protection against recurrence in the event of the emergence of Beta, Gamma or Delta variants, which was a good protection against reinfection. However, this situation changed with the advent of another variant – the Omikron. Protection then fell to 56 percent. It is therefore likely that an evolving virus that changes to escape our immune response, among other things, will lead to the third, fourth and fifth cases.

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How long in time interval?

It seems that this will not happen immediately after an infection occurs. But it is theoretically possible a few months after it has been diagnosed. This is due to the weakening of the resistance over time against the next variant, against which we will not produce the so-called cross resistance. Descriptively speaking: the patient is infected with the Omikron variant, so he is protected in about 90 percent. against reinfection with the sub-variant BA.2, which is responsible for the current epidemic wave in Europe and Asia. However, in six months it may turn out that such a person will be very poorly protected against reinfection with a potentially new coronavirus lineage, which may appear in a few months.

What is the course of falling ill with COVID-19 if the infection affects us again – for the third or fourth time?

In most cases of SARS-CoV-2 infections, relapse is usually milder. However, you should be aware that if a much more virulent variant appears, such an infection may be more severe. This applies especially to the unvaccinated, immunocompetent, due to diseases and / or taking certain medications, and in old age. In these cases, the risk of a severe course of infection is always high.

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Vaccinated people develop so-called memory cells. What is this?

In people who also fell ill. B and T immune memory cells are formed after natural contact with the pathogen as a result of infection or after vaccination. Their job is to remember the antigen in order to the immune system reacted much faster in the case of its re-invasion into our body, which reduces the risk of developing the disease and the severe course of the disease. Thanks to the cells immune memory the body’s defense mechanisms are activated much faster.

Let us return to our guests who come to Poland from war-torn Ukraine and whom we help in solidarity. Is there anything that needs to be done about vaccination to keep us and them safe?

An important issue would be to equalize the level of vaccinated population living in a given area. We know that in Kiev, for example, the percentage of people vaccinated against COVID-19 is around 65%, but in the vicinity of the Ukrainian capital, the statistics are completely different and amount to around 20%. Governments should take urgent action to vaccinate as many refugees as possible who left their country because of the war. This especially applies to children who should be vaccinated according to the Polish vaccination schedule, because the epidemiological differences do not only concern COVID-19, but also diseases such as tuberculosis and measles.

We encourage you to listen to the latest episode of the RESET podcast. This time we devote it to emotions. Often times, a particular sight, sound or smell brings to mind a similar situation that we have already experienced. What opportunities does this give us? How does our body react to such an emotion? You will hear about this and many other aspects related to emotions below.

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