By Robert Preidt
HealthDay reporter
FRIDAY, June 4, 2021 (HealthDay News) – In some good news for those who have already had a COVID-19 attack, a new study finds that they are at a much lower risk of reinfection for at least 10 months.
For the study, the researchers analyzed the rates of SARS-CoV-2 infections between October 2020 and February 2021 in more than 2,000 nursing home residents (mean age 86) and staff. Antibody tests were used to see if they had a previous infection up to 10 months previously.
Residents with a previous infection were 85% less likely to be infected than those who had never been infected during the four-month study period, while employees with previous infections were 60% less likely to be infected than those who had never been infected, findings showed.
Of the 634 people previously infected, reinfections occurred in four residents and 10 staff, compared to 93 residents and 111 staff among the 1,477 who have never been infected, according to The Lancet Healthy Longevity Journal published on June 3 Study.
The study excluded the effects of vaccination by removing participants from analysis 12 days after their first vaccination dose. The authors examine the effectiveness of vaccines in a separate study.
“It is really good news that a natural infection protects against re-infection during this time. The risk of getting infected twice seems to be very low, ”said lead author Maria Krutikov of the Institute of Health Informatics at University College London (UCL) in the UK.
“The fact that previous COVID-19 infection offers high levels of protection to nursing home residents is also comforting given past concerns that these individuals may have less robust immune responses as they age,” said Krutikov in a press release from the university.
“These results are particularly important as this vulnerable group has not been the focus of much research,” she added.
According to lead author of the study, Laura Shallcross, of UCL’s Institute of Health Informatics, “This was a unique opportunity to study the protective effects of natural infection in this cohort prior to vaccination. An important next step is to determine the duration of immunity after natural infection and vaccination and to assess whether this protective effect is maintained against current and emerging variants. “
More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more information on COVID-19 reinfection.
SOURCE: University College London, press release, June 3, 2021
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