The risk of a COVID reinfection

There is a dangerous misconception out there concerning repeat infections with COVID. Early during the pandemic, some people believed that infection with COVID would lead to superior protection from reinfection from the virus. Some politicians advanced this view, all without the benefit of any data. Some people who were vaccinated with the original series of immunizations and boosters also believed they were invincible. They thought that even if they were re-infected, their immune systems would completely protect them from serious illness. Well, data is beginning to accumulate that COVID is more sneaky than we thought.

With the more infectious new variants, re-infection rates rose. Some people are on their third or fourth COVID infection, or even more. The virus that causes COVID is evolving rapidly, and with so many people getting sick, it has the ability to mutate and change to get better at making us sick. The COVID variants are getting good at evading the immunity we have from infection by a previous virus or the vaccines. The flu virus also evolves and can evade the immunity from previous infections or vaccines, which is why we need a new shot each year.