Corona for the second time? Zero chance of getting seriously ill

Researchers in Qatar reached this conclusion After studying the infection rates in the country. With a large part of the population (about 40 percent) already infected with the coronavirus during the first wave last spring, the country has become an ideal testing ground for research into cases of reinfection.

As a side note, the scientists noted that the delta variant was not yet in circulation in Qatar during the study. It is also not clear how long a corona infection provides protection.

endemic disease

was the investigation Posted this week In the New England Journal of Medicine. Pediatrician and epidemiologist Patricia Brugging called the researchers’ findings ‘good news’ for the future of the coronavirus as an endemic disease (influenza-like, ed.).

The researchers compared more than 353,000 residents of Qatar who were infected with the Corona virus from the beginning of last year until April of this year. More than 87,000 of them were vaccinated during that time (but are still infected), and were not included in the study.

1304 AD

In only 1,304 cases (out of more than 265,000 infections) a person was infected with the Corona virus twice. The researchers counted re-infection if a person tested positive for the coronavirus again more than 90 days after the first infection.

None of the 1,304 patients who developed a second infection were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). No one died as a result of the injury. Only four people were hospitalized, and all other patients had mild symptoms.

90% less chance

The scientists concluded that those who were infected with the Coronavirus for the second time had a 90 percent lower chance of being hospitalized or dying from the virus compared to those who were infected for the first time.

RIVM assumes that you will remain protected for six months after infection, although this is not certain:

RIVM: Infections are rare

On the RIVM موقع website She says you could catch the coronavirus again, but that chance is slim. It occurs in about 1 to 2 percent of people.

It seems that people who are re-infected generally become less dangerous. Most people who are otherwise healthy develop immunity to the virus after infection. We don’t yet know exactly how long someone is protected. It is unclear whether the accumulated immune system also provides protection against the various variants of the virus. We also don’t know how contagious people are if they get another infection.

Source: RIVM