Most of us have now had Covid at least once – and many will have had multiple infections.
Now a major new study has found that catching the virus more than once increases your chance of hospitalisation and even death from related health issues.
Researchers from Washington University looked at health data from nearly half a million US veterans and found a person was more likely to experience issues with their lungs, heart, brain, blood, muscles and digestive system if they had experienced Covid reinfection.
Lung problems were three and a half times more likely, heart problems three times more likely, and brain issues one and a half times more likely in people who had multiple infections from the virus.
Researchers also found those who had repeated infections were three times more likely to be hospitalised and twice as likely to die than those who only had Covid once.
Vulnerability to health issues increases with each infection, the study found – with those who caught Covid three times more at risk than someone who had the virus twice.
The study authors stressed the importance of continued public health precautions and punctured the myth that those who had already experienced Covid, were vaccinated, or both, were somehow “invinceable”.
“Some people started to refer to these individuals as having a sort of superimmunity to the virus,” study author Professor Ziyad Al-Ali, told the Telegraph.
“Even if you’ve had two Covid-19 infections, it’s better to avoid a third, and if you’ve had three infections, it’s best to avoid the fourth,” Prof Al-Ali added.
People should remain vigilant, continue to wear masks and keep up with their vaccinations, as well as being alert to new infections, he said.
Currently, the main symptom for Covid is having a sore throat, according to Tim Spector, co-founder of the Zoe Health Study app.
Other symptoms of Covid include:
- Fever
- Chills
- Coughing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body caches
- New loss of taste or smell
- Shortness of breath
- Difficulty breathing
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Lost of appetite
If you’re feeling ill, make sure you take a a test and isolate as much as possible.
The UK government guidance states: “If you have symptoms of a respiratory infection, such as Covid-19, and you have a high temperature or do not feel well enough to go to work or carry out normal activities, try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people, until you no longer have a high temperature (if you had one) or until you no longer feel unwell.”
Experts are still learning about Covid-19. The information in this story is what was known or available at the time of publication, but guidance could change as scientists discover more about the virus. To keep up to date with health advice and cases in your area, visit gov.uk/coronavirus and nhs.uk.