While Covid-19 cases are currently on a decline in Singapore, the virus continues to mutate and circulate.
Furthermore, many of the recent cases came from the XBB subvariant, which has been proven more likely to reinfect those who got infected over a year ago.
Source: Fusion Medical Animation on Unsplash
With the virus constantly mutating and countries loosening or lifting protocols, more and more are at risk of reinfection.
Addressing this very topic, a study has found that individuals reinfected with Covid-19 have a higher risk of severe health issues and even death.
The study published in Nature Medicine drew its findings from the US Department of Veteran Affairs.
Experts collected data from Mar 2020 to Apr 2022 on 5.7 million individuals, with 40,947 having had two or more infections.
Experts found that reinfection contributed “additional risks of death” among the participants.
It also led to a higher risk of diseases including diabetes, cardiovascular, pulmonary, and neurological disorders.
On top of that, the study claims that the risks were evident “regardless of vaccination status”.
Results suggested that even a combination of natural immunity from the first infection and protection from the vaccine cannot override the risk of severe health issues.
While the aforementioned risks were most prominent during the acute phase, they were still evident six months later.
Additionally, the risks increased with every bout of infection, whether they stemmed from the Delta, Omicron, or BA.5 variants.
However, it is worth noting that the study’s participants do not reflect the general population.
Microbiology and immunology professor John Moore told Reuters that patients at Veteran Affairs tend to be older and sicker people.
They are also mostly men, which the study confirms by stating that only 10.3% of the subjects are female.
The study suggested that strategies to prevent reinfection will benefit people regardless of infection history and vaccination status.
It also stated the urgent need for a vaccine that is more durable, covers a broad array of variants, reduces transmission, and reduces effects on both first-time and repeat Covid-19 patients.
Study leader Dr Ziyad Al-Aly said that a lot of reinfected patients seem to underestimate the effects, Reuters reported.
With the holiday season approaching, bringing with it more travel and indoor gatherings, he cautioned the public that reinfection is ‘consequential’ and to take precautions.
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Featured image adapted from Olga Kononenko on Unsplash.
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