Nature Medicine: Repeated infection with COVID-19 increases the risk of organ failure and death

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began nearly three years ago, scientists have learned that primary infection can lead to short- and long-term health risks, affecting nearly every organ system
in the body.
They also determined that people may become infected with COVID-19 a second or third time, despite having acquired natural antibodies after the first infection and received vaccines and booster shots
.

Now, a new study by Washington University School of Medicine in St.
Louis and the St.
Louis Veterans Affairs Health Care System shows the health consequences of
reinfection.
The researchers found that repeated infections with SARS-CoV-2 increased the significant risk
of adverse health in multiple organ systems.
These outcomes included hospitalization; diseases affecting the lungs, heart, brain, blood, musculoskeletal and gastrointestinal systems; Even death
.
Reinfection can also lead to diabetes, kidney disease, and mental health problems
.

The findings were published Nov.
10 in Nature Medicine
.

"In the last few months, there has been an atmosphere of invincibility among people who have been infected with COVID-19 or vaccinated and boosters, especially those who have been infected and vaccinated; Some people are starting to call these people some kind of superimmunity to the virus," said
Ziyad Al-Aly, MD, a clinical epidemiologist at the School of Medicine and senior author.
"There is no doubt that our research shows that second, third or fourth infections add additional health risks
during the acute phase (i.
e.
the first 30 days after infection) and in the months after that (i.
e.
the lengthy COVID phase).
In addition, the study shows that the risk appears to increase
with each infection.
This means that even if you have already had COVID-19 twice, it is best to avoid a third infection
.
If you have been infected three times, it is best to avoid the fourth
.
”

Al-Aly said it's especially important to limit exposure to the virus as the U.
S.
enters the winter months because new variants are emerging, mutating, and already causing a rise
in infections in some parts of the country.
"People should do their best to prevent repeat infections by covering up, for example, getting all eligible boosters and staying home
when sick.
In addition, get a flu vaccine to prevent illness
.
We really need to do our best to reduce the possibility of
a dual COVID and flu epidemic this winter.
”

For the study, researchers analyzed about 5.
8 million unidentified medical records
in a database maintained by the U.
S.
Department of Veterans Affairs.
Patients vary
in age, ethnicity, and sex.

The researchers created a control dataset that included 5.
3 million people
who did not test positive for COVID-19 infection between March 1, 2020 and April 6, 2022.
In the same time frame, the researchers also collected a group of more than 443,000 controls who tested positive for coronavirus infection, and another group of nearly 41,000 people
with records of two or more infections.
In the latter group, most people were infected two or three times, a few were infected four times, and no one was infected five or more
times.
Statistical models were used to examine the health risks
of repeated COVID-19 infection within the first 30 days of infection and within the next 6 months.
The study considered COVID-19 variants
such as delta, omicron, and BA.
5.
A negative result occurs between
unvaccinated people and people who were vaccinated before becoming reinfected.

Overall, the researchers found that people with COVID-19 who were reinfected were twice as likely to die and hospitalized three times more likely than those who were not reinfected
.

In addition, people with superinfections were 3.
5 times more likely to have lung problems, 3 times more likely to have heart problems, and 1.
6 times
more likely to develop brain problems than people who had been infected only once.

"Our findings have broad public health implications because they tell us that strategies
to prevent or reduce the risk of reinfection should be implemented," Al-Aly said.
Heading into winter, people should be aware of the risks, be vigilant and reduce the risk of contracting or re-contracting the
new coronavirus.
”