Study: Long-term effects of COVID reinfections reveals lasting health problems

SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) — A examine reveals the dangers of COVID reinfection is shedding gentle on the prolonged-time period effects of the virus. 

As situations rise with the new BA.5 subvariant, the analyze implies COVID is seriously not like a chilly or flu and can cause lasting wellbeing complications.

Lois Tucker has by no means tested positive for COVID.

“I really don’t see any explanation to courtroom that,” she mentioned. “I’m not interested in likely via that. Ageing is hard adequate.”

Tucker feels lucky, I primarily considering that she’s found what her brother has long gone by way of. He has lengthy COVID and suffers from shortness of breath and brain fog. 

“The detail that bothers him the most is his legs and his feet. Just a tingling, numb feeling in his ft,” reported Tucker.

Although medical practitioners have been hoping to uncover out extra about the bring about of extended-expression COVID, a new study out of the Veterans Affairs Well being Process has located some alarming final results of the wellbeing hazards thanks to reinfection. The effects ended up released in the journal Nature.

Those that have had two or additional conditions of COVID had a lot more than two times the hazard of dying. They also are 3 situations far more very likely to be hospitalized within just 6 months of their final an infection. 

“Which is the challenge with this damn thing. Just when you imagine you bought it figured out, have an understanding of the dimensions of it, it comes up with a new curve ball and it is like that I utilised to believe two months ago no extended will work,” explained Dr. Bob Wachter, the Chair of UCSF Medication .

Dr. Wachter provides some of the wellbeing difficulties include things like strokes and heart attacks. He isn’t going to see a statewide mask mandate returning but warns this is the time to take safeguards with the new BA.5 subvariant spreading fast.

“There’s a ton of cases around and a variant that is considerably a lot more infectious than at any time prior to. And that vaccination and prior an infection don’t get the job done as well as they utilised to in preventing new conditions.”

Dr. Wachter still advises individuals that need to get the booster to get the shot. When it may not halt you from catching COVID, he says it is really productive in protecting against intense disease.