Disease severity during SARS-COV-2 reinfection: a nationwide study

Abstract

Objective We aimed to look at the burden of disease caused by SARS-COV-2 reinfections and identified potential risk factors for disease severity. Methods We used national surveillance data to collect information on all SARS-CoV-2 primary infection and suspected reinfection cases between January 2020 until early May 2021. Reinfection cases were positive COVID-19 PCR or antigen test, 90 days after their first COVID-19 positive test. We collected information on case demographics, hospital and ICU admission, immunisation status and if individuals were at risk of complication for COVID-19. Results Deaths reported within 28 days of testing positive were 61% (95% confidence interval: 56% to 65%) lower in suspected COVID-19 reinfection than primary infection cases. In the unvaccinated cohort, reinfections were associated with 49% (37% to 58%) lower odds of hospital admission in cases aged 50 to 65 years in the population not identified at risk of complication for COVID-19, and 34% (17% to 48%) in those at risk. ICU admission at reinfection compared to primary infection decreased 76% (55% to 87%). Individuals at risk and those aged below 50 years, who received at least 1 dose of vaccine against COVID-19, were 62% (39% to 74%) and 58% (24% to 77%) less likely to get admitted to hospital at reinfection, respectively. Conclusion Prior SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with lower odds of dying, and both prior infection and immunisation showed a protective effect against severe disease in selected populations. Older age, sex and underlying comorbidities appeared as principal risk factors for illness severity at reinfection. Funding PHE/UKHSA

SARS-CoV-2 reinfections during the first three major COVID-19 waves in Bulgaria

“…A possible limitation of our study is the possibility that in some individuals the disease may have passed with mild symptoms or asymptomatically, and thus not all cases have been properly diagnosed and registered in the national system, leading to some bias towards documenting symptomatic infections. Results regarding the relative severity of reinfections in the literature have ranged from finding no difference in the severity of reinfections and primary infection to finding considerable (though rarely very high) degree of reduction from severe outcomes 171 ; our results also fit within this range of estimates.…”

Suitability assessment of CD24 targeted-therapy in the cancer patients with COVID-19: Preliminary results from pan-cancer

“…The host inflammatory response, involving immune-cell hyperactivation and high amounts of circulating cytokines, has been demonstrated to explain severe COVID-19, resulting in a cytokine storm. ( 7 ) Consistent with recent findings that COVID-19 were severely inflamed but had limited T cell responses, ( 8 ) re-analysis of a single-cell RNA sequencing dataset (GSE158055) ( 9 ) revealed substantially elevated CD24 expression in epithelial and B cells ( Fig. 2 A).…”

Protective effect of a first SARS-CoV-2 infection from reinfection: a matched retrospective cohort study using PCR testing data in England

“…Cases of reinfection had 45% lower odds of dying in the 28 days after their reinfection compared to the controls (adjusted OR 0.55, 0.42-0.71). Lower odds of dying after reinfection compared to primary infection were also reported in a nationwide study where reinfections were 61% less likely of dying compared with primary infection (95% CI 56-65) [31].…”