Earlier in the pandemic, it was assumed that getting infected afforded some degree of lasting protection, for perhaps a few months. As the coronavirus mutates, though, that’s no longer a given.
A man wears a mask on Tuesday, July 12, 2022, in Los Angeles, California. LOS ANGELES — Emerging evidence suggests that catching the coronavirus a second time can heighten long-term health risks, a worrisome development as the circulation of increasingly contagious omicron subvariants leads to greater numbers of Californians being reinfected.
According to a preprint study examining U.S. veterans, of which Al-Aly was the lead author, getting infected twice or more “contributes to additional risks of all-cause mortality, hospitalization and adverse health outcomes” in various organ systems, and can additionally worsen risk for diabetes, fatigue and mental health disorders.
“They also saw that those with repeat infections had a higher risk of gastrointestinal, kidney, mental health, musculoskeletal and neurologic disorders, as well as diabetes,” Ferrer said of the study. “Moreover, the risk of developing a long-term health problem increased further with each reinfection. The risk of having long-term health conditions was three times higher for those infected compared to those who were uninfected.
“This concept of building immunity, it really only works if you’re encountering the same beast again and again and again,” Al-Aly said. But in the world of COVID-19, BA.5 is actually a “very different beast” than earlier variants. As it relates specifically to long COVID — a condition in which symptoms can persist months or even years after an initial infection — getting vaccinated and boosted likely reduces risk, but studies differ as to the degree of protection.
Still, some clinicians say that long COVID sufferers tend to be either unvaccinated or missing their boosters.
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