Does the risk of getting long Covid increase each time you get reinfected?

https://www.statnews.com/2023/09/20/do-long-covid-odds-increase-with-second-infection/

by emot • 3 years ago

32 12 3 years ago

Very speculative article, but does provide a nice succinct explanation for the counter-intuitive idea that multiple infections could pead to greater chance of long covid.

That said, I got terrible long covid after my first infection. I consider myself to still be getting over it. I've been reinfected about 6 times (apparently this is actually abnormal). The o ly long covid symptom I've fou d to get worse after some of my reinfections is that my breath gets shorter again long term, and I have to go about clawing back my pulomnary capacity again.

Otherwise brainfog and the like seem to mostly not worsen, although I will say that I'm still, 3 years on, trying to get rid of the last vestiges of those symptoms.

Feel like I overshared my personal experience here for some reason, but like I said, article seems highly speculative. So why not share some anecdata while we're at it.

genter• 3 years ago

For about 6 months after the first time I got Covid, smoke really bothered me. The California wild fires were miserable. I'm currently getting over Covid for the 4th time (I think), and the smoke is slightly bothering me, but it isn't terrible.

arisAlexis• 3 years ago

you got covid 6 times without being immunocompromised? Have you done all tests to rule that out? What's your job if I may ask? I would get it for a nurse or something maybe.

push-to-prod• 3 years ago

I've had it four times, but I've got lung issues, so it's not entirely surprising. First time was before there was a vaccine, and the successive times were half as bad as the previous time. Came very close to dying the first time, that was very unpleasant.

mharig• 3 years ago

Are you vaccinated? How often?

thelastparadise• 3 years ago

Counterexample:

  - I'm completely unvaccinated
  - Tested positive once (had no symptoms, only  tested because of close contact)
  - No long covid
  - Healthier and more energetic than ever
  - Never wear a mask
  - Have stash of *vermect*n, never used

autoexec• 3 years ago

I mean, no matter what it's a dice roll every time you get infected. Clearly your risk increases each time in that sense. Avoid the infection and you avoid the risk. Because there's so much research still ongoing, that's probably the safest way to frame things. I'm still hoping we'll figure out what things make a person more or less likely to get it. Considering the wide variation in symptoms and severity I doubt we'll have a treatment anytime soon.

two_handfuls• 3 years ago

That assumes those rolls are independent. It’s not unreasonable to ask how correlated they may be.

randomcarbloke2• 3 years ago

The highest risk is never having had covid at all according to data.

irreticent• 3 years ago

Can you provide a reputable source of that data?

randomcarbloke2• 3 years ago

It's been covered by many studies in many countries...but sure here's a piece in the lancet: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/ebiom/article/PIIS2352-39...

Does the risk of getting long Covid increase each time you get reinfected?

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