Thread by @zalaly

Here is the latest from our team in @NatureMedicine

Should you protect yourself from Covid-19 reinfection

Yes!

Reinfection is not benign; it is best to avoid it

by @BCBowe @Biostayan @zalaly

A thread 🧵

nature.com/articles/s4159…

In this study of 5.8 million people

41k with reinfection

444k with 1 infection (no reinfection)

5.3 million non-infected controls

Compared to no reinfection, reinfection increased risk of death, hospitalization, and other adverse health outcomes

nature.com/articles/s4159…

Compared to people who did not get reinfection, those with reinfection had

2 fold increased risk of death

3 fold increased risk of hospitalization

3 fold increased risk of heart problems

3 fold increased risk of blood clotting

nature.com/articles/s4159…

Reinfection also increased risk of

Diabetes
Fatigue
Kidney problems
Mental health disorders
Musculoskeletal problems
Neurologic disorders
Lung problems

nature.com/articles/s4159…

Reinfection was associated with adverse health outcomes in

unvaccinated

those who had 1 vaccine shot

those who had 2+ vaccine shots

nature.com/articles/s4159…

Importantly,

Reinfection increased the risks of death, hospitalization and organ injury in the acute and post-acute phase

and

the elevated risks remained evident at 6 months after reinfection

Reinfection increases the risk of acute and #LongCovid

nature.com/articles/s4159…

Compared to noninfected controls, cumulative risks of repeat infection increased according to the number of infections

Every reinfection contributes additional risk

3 infections worse than 2

2 infections worse than 1

1 infection worse than none

nature.com/articles/s4159…

For the half a billion people who had #COVID19 once, the question of whether a second infection carries additional risks is important

We show that reinfection increases risks of adverse outcomes in acute and post-acute phases of COVID-19

nature.com/articles/s4159…

What does this mean for you?

If you have Covid once, twice, three or more times,

and

even if you are vaccinated and boosted

It is absolutely worth it to protect yourself from getting covid again

nature.com/articles/s4159…

What are the broader implications?

Reinfection will add to the pandemic's high and growing toll of death, disease, and disability

Prevention of infection and reinfection with SARS-CoV-2 should continue to be the goal of public health policy

nature.com/articles/s4159…

How do we move forward?

Reinfections are not benign and will continue to happen until

We have vaccines that

a. block transmission
b. offer durable protection
c. variant proof

We also need prevention and treatment strategies for #LongCovid

nature.com/articles/s4159…

Thanks to the amazing @sourwine for developing this press release (link below).

A clear accounting of the findings.

@WUSTLnews
@WUSTLmed

medicine.wustl.edu/news/repeat-co…

Thanks to our reviewers, editors, and all those who supported us in this project.

@WUSTL
@WUSTLmed
@WUSTLnews
@VREFSTL
@sourwine
@VAResearch
@vahsrd

nature.com/articles/s4159…