The possibility of a new infection Covid-19 in the same person in a relatively short time is very small, but older people over 65 who are infected with coronavirus are more likely to catch it again after a few months than younger people, according to a new Danish scientific research.
The study, published in the medical journal The Lancet, according to the New York Times and The Guardian, shows that people under 65 have about 80% immune protection for at least six months after the first infection. However, the protection rate drops to 47% for those over 65, who are therefore significantly more likely to become infected with the coronavirus again within the next six months.
So far, less than 1% of those infected with the virus are estimated to be infected again within the next six months, a rate that may gradually increase, mainly due to the new, more contagious variants of SARS-CoV-2.
The new findings show once again the importance of protection measures especially for the elderly during the pandemic and on the other hand the priority vaccination of the elderly, even if they have passed Covid-19 in the past. They also show that natural immunity after a first infection does not then provide reliable protection, so it is important to vaccinate as much of the population as possible in each country.
"Our study confirms that re - infection with Covid-19 "It's rare in younger, healthier people, but older people are at greater risk of getting stuck again," said lead researcher Professor Stin Ethelberg of the Statens Serum Institute. "You certainly can't rely on a past infection to protect you from getting sick again, especially if you're older," he added.
To date, fewer than 100 cases of re-infection have been confirmed worldwide, while another 2.000 are under investigation as suspected re-infections, although some of them may be long-term patients. Covid-19, who have never fully recovered from the original infection. To date, most confirmed re-infections are more likely to be asymptomatic or milder in symptoms than the first infection.
U.S.A. scientists say that while 80% protection against recurrence may not seem great, protection against symptomatic disease is likely to be greater, as the Danish analysis calculated the likelihood of protection against recurrent infection, either symptomatic or asymptomatic.
"Many of the re-infections will be asymptomatic. "An 80% reduction in the risk of asymptomatic re-infection is great," said Florian Kramer, an immunologist at Mount Sinai Medical School in New York, adding that those who have already passed Covid-19, need at least one dose of the vaccine.
Link to the scientific publication:
Source: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ