Worried About Getting COVID Again? Here’s What to Know – By Jessica Rendall (CNET) / Mar 31 2023
A lot has changed since the pandemic started. Here’s what the experts say about reinfection, COVID-19 immunity and how long it lasts.
As COVID-19 has mutated into new variants of the virus, scientists’ understanding of immunity and public health measures have changed, too. Mask mandates have fallen in some cities and public spaces (though some areas or businesses may require them), public health officials are considering an annual simplified vaccine strategy in the US and World Health Organization officials this week said people in higher-risk groups, not those of medium or low risk, should be the priority in vaccine plans moving forward.
These developing plans reflect a new state of the pandemic, once the emergency expires in the US in May, and a new way to handle COVID-19, which has been circulating in various forms of omicron since late 2021. While the burden of COVID-19 is simmering at much lower levels than earlier in the pandemic, the fact that the virus is still around making people sick will eventually spur the question (if it hasn’t already): What happens when you get COVID-19 again?
COVID-19 reinfection happens when you have the virus for a second, third or fourth time, or more. While confirmed cases of it were relatively uncommon in the early stages of the pandemic, many people have gotten COVID-19 more than once, or will get it again in the future.
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