Journal Article

Risk of and duration of protection from SARS-CoV-2 reinfection assessed with real-world data

Meyer, William A., Leonard, Sandy, Cohen, Oren, Cronin, Kathy, Lowy, Douglas, Kaufman, Harvey W., Anderson, Steve, Reynolds, Shannon L., Petkov, Valentina, Penberthy, Lynne, Bush, Chris, Kabelac, Carly, Sharpless, Norman

2023

Overview

This retrospective observational study aimed to gain a better understanding of the protective duration of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection against reinfection. The objectives were two-fold: to assess the durability of immunity to SARS-CoV-2 reinfection among initially unvaccinated individuals with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, and to evaluate the crude SARS-CoV-2 reinfection rate and associated risk factors. During the pandemic era time period from February 29, 2020, through April 30, 2021, 144,678,382 individuals with SARS-CoV-2 molecular diagnostic or antibody test results were studied. Rates of reinfection among index-positive individuals were compared to rates of infection among index-negative individuals. Factors associated with reinfection were evaluated using multivariable logistic regression. For both objectives, the outcome was a subsequent positive molecular diagnostic test result. Consistent with prior findings, the risk of reinfection among index-positive individuals was 87% lower than the risk of infection among index-negative individuals. The duration of protection against reinfection was stable over the median 5 months and up to 1-year follow-up interval. Factors associated with an increased reinfection risk included older age, comorbid immunologic conditions, and living in congregate care settings; healthcare workers had a decreased reinfection risk. This large US population-based study suggests that infection induced immunity is durable for variants circulating pre-Delta predominance.

• Publisher: Public Library of Science,Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subject: Antibodies / Biology and life sciences / Care and treatment / Cohort analysis / Comorbidity / Comparative analysis / Coronaviruses / COVID-19 / COVID-19 - epidemiology / COVID-19 vaccines / Diagnosis / Diagnostic systems / Diseases / Durability / Electronic health records / Epidemics / Evaluation / Health aspects / Health Personnel / Health risks / Humans / Immunity / Infection / Infections / Laboratories / Medical diagnosis / Medical personnel / Medical research / Medicine and health sciences / Medicine, Experimental / Missing data / Observational studies / Pandemics / Patients / People and Places / Pharmacy / Population / Population studies / Reinfection - epidemiology / Relapse / Risk factors / SARS-CoV-2 / Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 / Testing / Viral antibodies / Viral diseases