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Thursday, July 11, 2024
An NIH-funded analysis of health record data shows that serious reinfections often occur after a serious initial infection.
what
Using health data from nearly 213,000 Americans who had experienced reinfection, the researchers found that severe infection with the virus that causes COVID-19 tends to predict a similar severe infection the next time they are infected. Additionally, the scientists found that long COVID is more likely to occur after a first infection compared to reinfection.Recover) initiative, Communication Medicine.
This analysis was conducted using the National COVID Cohort Collaboration (N3CThe researchers focused on 212,984 people who reported reinfection: those who were first infected between March 1, 2020 and December 31, 2022, and experienced a second infection by March 2023. The majority of participants (203,735) had been infected with COVID-19 twice, but a small number (478) had been infected three or more times. COVID-19 VaccinesAlthough not available for the entire study period, Protective effect.
About 27% of people with severe symptoms who were hospitalized for coronavirus infection also received hospitalization for reinfection. Severely ill adults are more likely to have underlying medical conditions and are more likely to be over 60 years old. In contrast, about 87% of people with mild COVID-19 who did not initially require hospitalization also had mild symptoms after reinfection.
Reinfection, defined as occurring at least two months after the initial infection, was found to have occurred most frequently during the circulating Omicron variant in late 2021 and early 2022. Worsening immunity and increased exposure to coronaviruses, including more contagious variants, are likely responsible for the increase.
The scientists also found that long-term COVID-19 infection is more likely to occur after a first infection than through reinfection, regardless of the variant. Long COVID For the review, it is defined as people who experience long-term COVID-19 symptoms such as fatigue, coughing and problems sleeping, breathing or thinking after an acute coronavirus infection.
The researchers also albumin“A decrease in albumin, a protein made in the liver, may indicate a higher risk of reinfection. This finding could suggest low albumin as a risk factor for reinfection. Scientists think this merits further attention, including considering trials to test whether nutritional interventions could prevent reinfection or its severity.”
This research was funded by the NIH Recover Initiative. Additional support is available N3C Data EnclaveIt is supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, also part of the NIH.
Who
David C. Goff, MDSenior Scientific Program Director for the RECOVER Observational Consortium Steering Committee and Director of the Division of Cardiovascular Sciences at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of NIH, is available for an interview about the paper.
study
Hadley E, Yoo YJ, Patel S, et al. Insights from the N3C RECOVER EHR-based cohort study characterizing SARS-CoV-2 reinfection and Long COVID. CommuniMed.2024;doi: 10.1038/s43856-024-00539-2.
HHS Long COVID Coordination: This work, National Research Action Plan (PDF, 1.3 MB), a broader government-wide initiative Presidential Memorandum Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to implement a full and effective response to Long COVID. Under the direction of Assistant Secretary of Health Admiral Rachel Levin, this plan and its companion programs will: Report on services and supports for the long-term effects of COVID-19 (PDF, 1.6 MB) lays the foundation for accelerating advances in prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and service delivery for people experiencing long COVID.
About RECOVER: The National Institutes of Health’s Accelerating Recovery from COVID-19 (NIH RECOVER) initiative is bringing together clinicians, scientists, caregivers, patients, and community members to understand, diagnose, and treat long COVID. RECOVER is forming the largest and most diverse group of long COVID study participants in the world. In addition, the RECOVER clinical trial is testing potential interventions across five symptom focus areas. For more information, please visit: RecoveryCOVID.org.
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH):NIH is the nation’s medical research agency, comprised of 27 Institutes and Centers, and is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit: Click here for details.
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