According to the findings of a study that was carried out in the United States, frequent Covid infections may be associated with a considerable increase in the chance of developing serious health disorders in numerous organ systems. People who are exposed to this may have a significantly increased chance of organ failure as well as mortality.
The Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the Veterans Affairs St. Louis Health Care system in the United States conducted the study that established the negative effects of covid reinfection on one’s health. The findings of the study were published in the journal Nature Medicine.
These results include hospitalization, illnesses impacting the lungs, hearts, brains, and blood as well as the musculoskeletal & gastrointestinal functions, and even death in extreme cases. Diabetes, kidney problems, and mental health issues are other complications that might result from reinfection.
According to research conducted, contracting an infection for a second, third, or even fourth time increases the likelihood of experiencing additional health complications during the acute phase (the first 30 days following infection) as well as during the long Covid phase (the months following infection). In addition to this, the study found that the risk seemed to grow with each illness that the participants had.
The researchers analyzed over 5.8 million medical records that had been stripped of their identifying information from a database that was kept by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, which is the largest integrated health-care system in the country. In their analysis, the researchers took into account variations such as delta, omicron, and BA.5.
When compared with individuals who did not have a Covid-19 reinfection, those who did have a reinfection were found to have a mortality risk that was two times higher and a hospitalization risk that was three times higher. In addition, compared to individuals who were infected with the virus only once, those who had recurrent infections had a three and a half times greater risk of developing lung problems, a three times greater risk of suffering from heart conditions, and a one and a half times greater risk of experiencing brain conditions.
