After the recent Thanksgiving holiday, COVID-19 infections are on the rise again across the United States, including the Bay Area. Unlike the first year of the pandemic, most residents received vaccines and booster shots, and were able to check for corona infection more quickly and prepare for additional infections through self-examination, but quarantine measures such as wearing masks and maintaining distance were greatly loosened. At this time when Christmas and New Year’s holiday holidays are approaching, questions are emerging about how likely it is to be reinfected if you have had Corona 19 or have been vaccinated again. The following is a Q&A with experts about the possibility of reinfecting Corona 19 this winter reported by SF Chronicle.
Those who received the vaccine and booster shot have a low risk of reinfection. However, with the emergence of new viral sub-variants, the previously suggested interval between vaccinations of 6 months was reduced to 3 months. In other words, a reasonable period to be considered ‘safe’ from COVID-19 reinfection is within three months from the date of the COVID-19 vaccine, booster shot, and last infection.
Dr. Peter Chin Hong, UCSF, said that travel will increase during the holiday season and Corona 19 infections will also increase. explained that it can.
A recent study published in Nature Medicine found that people who are repeatedly infected with COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status, are more likely to suffer from poor health, including hospitalization and death, than those with new infections. According to another study, the more people who are infected again, the more likely they are to suffer from long-term sequelae of Long Covid. Dr. Peter Chin Hong advised that the subjects of the study were in their 60s or older with underlying diseases, which may not apply in general cases, but still be careful not to be infected again.
Above all, the actions of the people are important. Indoor gatherings should be held in well-ventilated places, and when traveling, situations where you are most vulnerable to infection, such as inside a taxi to the airport, food court in the airport, touch payment in the market, using a public toilet, in front of the airport gate, boarding an airplane, etc. Be careful and work hard on personal quarantine, such as wearing a mask.
There is no choice but to follow the individual quarantine measures presented previously. Wash your hands often, get the vaccine and the latest booster shot, wear a mask, maintain social distancing, stay home, and avoid contact with people if you are sick. In addition, it is recommended to frequently test for COVID-19 through a self-test kit. Santa Clara County Health Commissioner Jeffrey Smith said, “In particular, the recent flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection simultaneously have reduced the number of intensive care unit (ICU) beds in the county.”