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Can You Get Covid Twice – Reasons of COVID19 Reinfection

Can You Get Covid Twice – You might have forgotten about COVID-19 as it is not the hot topic in the United States right now, but it has not gone anywhere. The virus has started spreading at a rapid speed in most cities of the United States.

The debates around the effectiveness of the vaccine for COVID-19 are still open, and a huge number of people are not in favor. Just like before, most health experts around the world still believe that the COVID protocol is the only thing that can help anyone to avoid the virus. The updated booster shot of the COVID vaccine is still under trial and not available to the general public.

 But, one thing which is very interesting and gained popularity in the last few months is can you get COVID twice? It’s a very interesting question as people believe that the first infection from COVID-19 can generate enough antibodies so that your body will not get infected twice.

That is why today we are here to discuss whether you can get COVID twice or not. We will also take a look at all the latest updates on the virus by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other public health organizations around the world.

How Many Times Can You Get COVID 19?

This question is asked by everyone in the world. People who were exposed to the virus and got infected asked about it more than anything else.

If we take a look at the statements released by the central health experts around the world, everyone believes that you can not get an infection cold again and again because your body will develop antibodies the first time you get infected with the virus.

In the last 2 1/2 years, we have seen that people are getting infected with COVID-19 more than once. 

Yes, there is a probability that you can get infected with COVID-19 more than once. The health experts have not found the right number of times a person can get infected, but some cases have been infected with COVID-19 more than twice or thrice.

A recent study on a similar topic revealed that some people have got infected with COVID-19 more than twice. 

Even if you take a look at the recent study analyzing all the fresh, positive cases of COVID-19 revealed that one out of every seven new infected cases of COVID-19 in July in California was reinfection. It means California has a 14% reinfection rate, which is among the highest of any state in the United States.

The federal government of the United States or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not released any specific data points mentioning the reinfection, but several states have released it, and the reinfection rate in New York is around 5.6%.

View of Doctors on Reinfection of COVID-19

Before we move ahead, let’s first discuss the viewpoints of doctors on the reinfection of COVID-19. 

Doctor Monica Gandhi from the University of California said that there is no limit when it comes to the reinfection of COVID-19. A person who has recently recovered from COVID-19 can get infected once again, and there is meant to be re-infected.

Doctor Frank Esper also has similar views, and he also believed that there is a probability that anyone can get reinfection even with a similar variant. The current rate of reinfection is at its highest, and most health experts around the world were not able to assess the situation in the first place.

It has already been mentioned by the Centers for Disease Control and prevention numerous times that anyone can get infected with a virus. The sub-variants of omicron are a much more serious threat than the original variant of COVID-19.

The major reason behind reinfection in the United States or any country in the world is the ineffectiveness of the vaccine of COVID-19 against subvariants of omicron.

Yes, the vaccine for COVID-19 is not as effective as you might think against the latest sub-variants of COVID-19. One independent study even declared that the vaccine or its booster shots are as effective as 3% against omicron and its sub-variants.

Can You Get Covid Twice
Can You Get Covid Twice

What are the Risks of Reinfection?

Once you have learned that there are chances that you can get infected with COVID-19 more than once, the next question everyone is going to ask is what is the risk of reinfection.

Is there any long-term risk associated with reinfection, or that it is going to be a regular infection and recovery like any other virus in the world?

Yes, there are some risks of COVID reinfection. A report was published in the Wall Street Journal, mentioning multiple studies on a similar subject.  

In the article, Wall Street Journal mentioned that a study published by the Veterans Affairs health system concluded that reinfection of COVID-19 increases the risk of long COVID.

Long COVID is a condition where a person can experience symptoms of COVID-19 for a longer period without getting tested positive for the virus. There is no specific list of symptoms of long COVID, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that it can affect your whole body, including your mental health.

You might have heard in the news several times that current variants of COVID-19 do not impose major risks, and people are getting better within a few days of infection. You should remember that each reinfection creates the virus and an opportunity to damage your body.

Yes, health experts still believe that reinfection is not common, but there is a probability, and every time you get infected with a virus, you give it a chance to damage your body in the long run.

Reasons of Reinfection

Before we wrap up our station, let’s take a look at what are the proper reasons for the reinfection of COVID-19. Several health experts around the world have come up with different theories based on logic and independent studies.

  • Most health experts around the world believe that it’s been more than two years since COVID-19 first started, and the immunity from the first infection is also very limited. 
  • Even Doctor Frank mentioned that most people who are getting reinfection in California were diagnosed with COVID-19 at least six months to one year ago. The time frame between your first and second infection can play a vital role. 
  • People who got infected with COVID-19 in the first and second waves of COVID-19 in the United States are way more vulnerable to get reinfection than any other person.
  • Another very important thing you should learn about reinfection is the effectiveness of the vaccine. Health experts around the world have already mentioned that current variants of COVID-19 are completely immune to the COVID vaccine and its booster shots.
  • Vaccine manufacturers of COVID-19 are working on a new and updated booster sort of the vaccine to ensure your safety against the sub-variants of COVID-19.
  • These new variants are extra infectious, and it also increases the risk of reinfection.
  • Another thing that is causing reinfections in the United States and all around the world is that people are not being careful enough.
  • When COVID first started in the United States, people were very careful, and they followed all the COVID protocols.
  • But, nowadays, you might not see anyone wearing any mask or following any COVID protocol. Our negligence against the virus is also causing reinfection.

How to Save Yourself from COVID Reinfection?

Lastly, you might ask how you can ensure your safety against COVID reinfection. The answer is pretty straightforward. 

Protect yourself as much as possible.

If you have ever been diagnosed with COVID-19 in your life, it doesn’t mean that you cannot get it again. Your body is going to make some antibodies to protect itself from the virus, but that immunity is not going to last forever.

A similar case is also happening with COVID-19, where it is effective for some time, but you have to get its booster shot to enhance your immunity. Without booster shots, the vaccine for COVID-19 might not work. 

Apart from that, different variants of COVID-19 can also impose the risk of reinfection as your body might not be able to protect itself from new variants. 

You should follow the COVID protocol even if you are not in a zone where the risk of COVID is not high. As part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the COVID protocol includes regular use of face masks, COVID testing, vaccination, and social distancing.

For more information, you can consult your doctor and keep checking the official website of the Centers for Disease control and prevention. 

How soon can you get COVID-19 again?

There is no fixed timeline for when a person can get COVID infection once again, as several things are going to play a part. First of all, you have to check the dominating variant. If it is the same, then I can spend more time without any reinfection. Apart from that, booster shots of the COVID vaccine can also play a major role in COVID protocol.