Two years into the Covid-19 pandemic, there’s a high chance you’ve either had it yourself, you’ve been lucky enough to still dodge it…or, you’ve had it more than once. Yup, it’s possible, even if you’re fully vaccinated. We don’t blame you if that’s frustrating to hear, especially if you’ve been triple vaxxed, have limited your travel, and have worked to minimize unnecessary contact with people outside your household. And just as regions around the country are starting to ease up on the few restrictions that have remained, news reports of upticks in cases are making many people’s heads explode.
You may also be wondering if it’s possible to be reinfected within a short period of time, as in within a matter of weeks, just as you’re starting to feel better from a first go-around with an infection. According to Suneet Singh, M.D., an emergency medicine physician and medical director at CareHive Health in Austin, Texas, it’s highly unlikely to happen twice in one month, so that’s good news, at least.
“The immune response during recovery is very robust and offers protection that is extremely strong in the days immediately following the infection,” he explains. “But, for a very small fraction of patients, Covid re-infections occur soon thereafter similarly to other respiratory illnesses.”
Getting Covid twice is probably the last thing you want to deal with, much less potentially end up in the hospital with complications should it happen. Read on for what you need to know about getting Covid-19 twice, and what you can do to continue to minimize your risk of infection.
How did I get Covid back-to-back?
If you’ve started to feel like crap seemingly immediately after feeling better, we feel for you. When two seemingly back-to-back Covid infections happen, it is because a new, separate Covid exposure has occurred, which transmits a large number of infectious droplets, Dr. Singh says. Some factors that contribute to the incidence of re-infection are prolonged contact time with someone who is infected once again, being in a poorly ventilated indoor environment, and experiencing other medical conditions that inherently weaken the immune system and put you at higher risk of infection.
Additionally, the Omicron variant has characteristics that make it a more contagious strain of Covid than any of its predecessors, which also leads to an increased chance of re-infection, Dr. Singh says. But while its level of contagiousness is higher than other variants, Omicron infections have shown to be more mild and less likely to require hospitalization, especially if you’re vaccinated.
How to avoid a double Covid infection
More good news is that you don’t have to really do anything different to decrease your chances of getting Covid twice within a short timespan.
“The measures to prevent reinfection are truly the same as trying to prevent infection the first time around,” Dr. Singh says.”This includes avoiding crowded areas, increasing ventilation indoors by opening windows, wearing an appropriately fitted mask when around others, and cleaning your hands with soap and water frequently throughout the day.”
And don’t forget: Vaccines work. Even if you get an infection after being fully vaccinated, your prognosis is likely to be a lot better and you’re more likely to experience mild symptoms and effects that are unlikely to land you in the hospital. So if you’ve had reservations, don’t wait any longer. Vaccines are widely available across the country, so schedule your appointment today, and get your second and third doses accordingly.
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