🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 135 (from laksa155)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa135.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/how-covid-reinfection-affects-older-adults/\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/how-covid-reinfection-affects-older-adults/\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/how-covid-reinfection-affects-older-adults\/","crawl_time":1773592623,"first_indexed_time":1743560476,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"org,aarp!www,\/health\/conditions-treatments\/how-covid-reinfection-affects-older-adults\/ s443","src_root_hash":"2223325636571181335","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"How COVID Reinfection Can Affect Older Adults","meta_descriptions":["Multiple COVID reinfections can cause more severe symptoms. Learn more about COVID reinfection and its effect on older adults."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"Getty Images\nIf ever there was a silver lining to getting\nCOVID-19\nin the early days of the pandemic, it might have been this belief: Once you caught it, you most likely wouldn’t get it again. Check that box. Your turn was over.\nOr so went the conventional wisdom.  \n“As we learned more about COVID, we discovered it could\nmutate even faster\nthan influenza, and one could be reinfected,” says William Schaffner, M.D., professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee.\nAnd not just once or twice but multiple times.\nWhile most people can count on their immune system to do its job and protect them against reinfection, that protection lasts for only about three to four months after your\nmost recent vaccine\nor infection. Then the immune response begins to wane. “The vaccine provides protection against severe disease,” Schaffner explains, “but it’s not as good at preventing transmission from one to another.”\nThe good news: For many people, subsequent infections\nwill be as mild as or maybe milder\nthan their first bout with COVID-19, suggests a review of research published in 2023 in the\nInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health\n. “Repeat infections are likely for all, much as they are for other viruses that cause respiratory infections,” says Paul Sax, M.D., clinical director of the division of infectious diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. And generally, these repeat infections are milder than the first, he explains, due to the immunity the body has accumulated from vaccines and any prior infections.\nThere are exceptions, Sax adds. “But this is the primary reason why even though COVID hasn’t gone anywhere, we have never come close to the hospitalization numbers we had in the first two years of the pandemic,” he says.\nThat doesn’t mean, however, that reinfections are risk-free.  \nCommon but not harmless\nFour-plus years since the pandemic began\n and it’s still too soon to have any definitive answers about the dangers of getting COVID-19 multiple times, says Marc Sala, M.D., codirector of the Northwestern Medicine Comprehensive COVID-19 Center in Illinois. “The virus is novel enough that we need long-term data and a large population to know what the collateral effects are for having had COVID multiple times,” he says. “We just haven’t had the follow-up time for it.”\nAlthough doctors and scientists are still trying to get a handle on the health consequences of getting reinfected, this much seems certain: There is no such thing as risk-free COVID-19. That’s especially true for people who are more likely to experience severe symptoms.\nA recent study published in the journal\nCommunications Medicine\nsuggests that older people, as well as people with weakened immune systems and those who experienced severe COVID-19 the first time around, are at a\ngreater risk for a severe case\nif they’re reinfected.\nLess certain? Whether multiple bouts of COVID-19 raise your chances of experiencing what’s known as long COVID — the persistence of symptoms such as fatigue, fever, cough and difficulty concentrating that last for at least three months postinfection.  \nA study published in 2022 in\nNature Medicine\nfound that people who got COVID-19 at least twice were more than three times as likely to\ndevelop short-term and long-term health effects\n, including lung and heart issues, and over 1.5 times as likely to have a neurological disorder, including brain fog and strokes, compared to those who were infected once.\n“While we know that vaccines are protective from most complications from COVID, especially the very severe ones, it’s not quite perfect when it comes to long COVID,” Sala says. “We have some data that suggest that the higher number of infections puts you at greater risk of having long COVID at some point. But even that isn’t always consistent.”  \nHow to avoid reinfection\nYou might think COVID-19 takes a break in the summer — like many other common respiratory viruses — but that’s not true. Unlike the flu, which comes on strong in the winter and disappears during the summer, COVID never leaves, Schaffner says.\nAlthough the usual tendency is to spend more time outdoors during summer months, which reduces the risk of infection,\nrecord-breaking temperatures\nmean people are finding relief indoors. “That provides opportunities for these COVID variants to spread because they’re very contagious,” Schaffner says. “The variants tend to produce milder disease, but high-risk groups are more likely to develop serious disease even if they get infected with these omicron variants.”\nWhat to do? The usual: Stay up to date with vaccines, use common sense precautions like masking up when you’re in crowded spaces, test as soon as possible if you experience symptoms, and\nuse antiviral medications\nlike Paxlovid if you do test positive, since controlling the virus as quickly as possible can help reduce any long-term or lingering effects.\nThese measures are especially important for people 50-plus and those with medical conditions like heart disease, obesity, diabetes or\nchronic lung disease\n, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.\n“What we have to remember is that COVID has not gone away; it’s still with us,” Schaffner says. “Older people who get infected are more apt to get severe COVID, and there is a tendency for long COVID to develop more frequently after severe disease — all the more reason for us to be prudent when we know COVID is out there circulating.”  \nKimberly Goad is a New York-based journalist who has covered health for some of the nation’s top consumer publications. Her work has appeared in \nWomen’s Health\n, \nPrevention\n,\nHealth\nand\nReader's Digest\n.","attrs_markdown":"Javascript is not enabled.\n\nJavascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again.\n\n[Skip to content](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/how-covid-reinfection-affects-older-adults\/#aarp-u-end-of-header)\n\n[Take control of student loan debt! 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Career](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/work\/skills-builder\/)\n\n[![](https:\/\/cdn.aarp.net\/etc\/uxdia\/images\/uxdia-spinner.svg) ![]()](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/work\/job-search\/retiree-part-time-jobs\/ \"Part-Time Jobs (No Degree Required!)\")\n\nFlexible Work\n\n[Part-Time Jobs (No Degree Required!)](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/work\/job-search\/retiree-part-time-jobs\/)\n\n[![](https:\/\/cdn.aarp.net\/etc\/uxdia\/images\/uxdia-spinner.svg) ![a person on a laptop screen with various icons around it]()](https:\/\/virtualevents.aarp.org\/workjobs-hub\/en\/home?utm_medium=dotorg&utm_source=aarp&utm_campaign=workjobs-turnkey-webinar-hubpage-2024&utm_content=evergreen-top-nav&cmp=OTH-IMM-WORKJOBS-WEBINAR-HOUSE_TOPNAV \"Tips to Enhance Your Job Search\")\n\nON-DEMAND WEBINARS\n\n[Tips to Enhance Your Job Search](https:\/\/virtualevents.aarp.org\/workjobs-hub\/en\/home?utm_medium=dotorg&utm_source=aarp&utm_campaign=workjobs-turnkey-webinar-hubpage-2024&utm_content=evergreen-top-nav&cmp=OTH-IMM-WORKJOBS-WEBINAR-HOUSE_TOPNAV)\n\n[Back](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/how-covid-reinfection-affects-older-adults\/)\n\n[Advocacy](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/advocacy\/ \"Link to advocacy channel page\")\n\n[Close Menu](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/how-covid-reinfection-affects-older-adults\/ \"link to close menu\")\n\n[![](https:\/\/cdn.aarp.net\/etc\/uxdia\/images\/uxdia-spinner.svg) ![]()](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/medicare\/more-medicare-drug-price-negotiations-2025\/ \"Saving You RX Dollars\")\n\nDrug Prices\n\n[Saving You RX Dollars](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/medicare\/more-medicare-drug-price-negotiations-2025\/)\n\n[![](https:\/\/cdn.aarp.net\/etc\/uxdia\/images\/uxdia-spinner.svg) ![]()](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/advocacy\/call-on-congress-protect-social-security-2025\/ \"Fighting to Protect Social Security\")\n\nSocial Security\n\n[Fighting to Protect Social Security](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/advocacy\/call-on-congress-protect-social-security-2025\/)\n\n[![](https:\/\/cdn.aarp.net\/etc\/uxdia\/images\/uxdia-spinner.svg) ![]()](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/advocacy\/safeguard-medicaid-2025\/ \"Advocating for Strong Programs\")\n\nMedicare & Medicaid\n\n[Advocating for Strong Programs](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/advocacy\/safeguard-medicaid-2025\/)\n\n[![](https:\/\/cdn.aarp.net\/etc\/uxdia\/images\/uxdia-spinner.svg) ![]()](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/advocacy\/100-reasons-support-family-caregivers-2025\/ \"Supporting Family Caregivers\")\n\nCaregiving\n\n[Supporting Family Caregivers](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/advocacy\/100-reasons-support-family-caregivers-2025\/)\n\n[Back](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/how-covid-reinfection-affects-older-adults\/)\n\n[Social Security](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/social-security\/)\n\n[Close Menu](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/how-covid-reinfection-affects-older-adults\/ \"link to close menu\")\n\n[![](https:\/\/cdn.aarp.net\/etc\/uxdia\/images\/uxdia-spinner.svg) ![]()](https:\/\/virtualevents.aarp.org\/socialsecurity-hub\/en\/home \"Navigating important Social Security decisions? We Can Help.\")\n\nWebinars\n\n[Navigating important Social Security decisions? We Can Help.](https:\/\/virtualevents.aarp.org\/socialsecurity-hub\/en\/home)\n\n[![](https:\/\/cdn.aarp.net\/etc\/uxdia\/images\/uxdia-spinner.svg) ![ask a a r p on a red background]()](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/ask-aarp\/ \"Ask AARP: AI-powered Tool to Get the Most Out of Social Security\")\n\nTool\n\n[Ask AARP: AI-powered Tool to Get the Most Out of Social Security](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/ask-aarp\/)\n\n[![](https:\/\/cdn.aarp.net\/etc\/uxdia\/images\/uxdia-spinner.svg) ![]()](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/social-security\/retirement\/basics\/ \"10 Things You Need to Know About Social Security\")\n\nBasics\n\n[10 Things You Need to Know About Social Security](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/social-security\/retirement\/basics\/)\n\n[![](https:\/\/cdn.aarp.net\/etc\/uxdia\/images\/uxdia-spinner.svg) ![]()](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/social-security\/benefits-calculator\/ \"Social Security Benefits Calculator: Maximize Your Benefits\")\n\nTools\n\n[Social Security Benefits Calculator: Maximize Your Benefits](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/social-security\/benefits-calculator\/)\n\n[Back](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/how-covid-reinfection-affects-older-adults\/)\n\n[Medicare](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/medicare\/)\n\n[Close Menu](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/how-covid-reinfection-affects-older-adults\/ \"link to close menu\")\n\n[Approaching Medicare](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/medicare\/approaching-medicare\/ \"Link to approaching medicare pathway overview\")\n\n[Enrolling in Medicare](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/medicare\/enrolling-medicare\/ \"link to parts of enrolling in medicare pathway overview\")\n\n[Managing Costs & Coverage](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/medicare\/managing-costs-coverage\/ \"link to managing medicare costs pathway overview\")\n\n[Getting Help](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/medicare\/getting-help\/ \"link to getting help with medicare series\")\n\n[Latest News](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/medicare\/latest-news\/ \"link to the latest medicare news\")\n\n[![](https:\/\/cdn.aarp.net\/etc\/uxdia\/images\/uxdia-spinner.svg) ![Ask A A R P. A I powered help from trusted A A R P sources. Illustration of a man using a laptop]()](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/ask-aarp\/ \"Ask AARP: AI-powered Tool to Get the Most Out of Medicare \")\n\nTool\n\n[Ask AARP: AI-powered Tool to Get the Most Out of Medicare](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/ask-aarp\/)\n\n[![](https:\/\/cdn.aarp.net\/etc\/uxdia\/images\/uxdia-spinner.svg) ![illustration of a clipboard with a checklist and medical cross on it]()](https:\/\/navigator.aarp.org\/en_gb\/courses\/course\/17 \"Take This Course to Feel Prepared About Enrolling in Medicare \")\n\nAARP Navigator\n\n[Take This Course to Feel Prepared About Enrolling in Medicare](https:\/\/navigator.aarp.org\/en_gb\/courses\/course\/17)\n\n[![](https:\/\/cdn.aarp.net\/etc\/uxdia\/images\/uxdia-spinner.svg) ![a red and white illustration showing a woman in a monitor flanked by a word bubble and a calendar]()](https:\/\/virtualevents.aarp.org\/medicare-hub\/en\/home?cmp=OTH-CSN-LEARN-MULTI-MEDICARE \"Get Answers to Medicare Questions With Our On-demand Webinars \")\n\nOn-Demand Webinars\n\n[Get Answers to Medicare Questions With Our On-demand Webinars](https:\/\/virtualevents.aarp.org\/medicare-hub\/en\/home?cmp=OTH-CSN-LEARN-MULTI-MEDICARE)\n\n[![](https:\/\/cdn.aarp.net\/etc\/uxdia\/images\/uxdia-spinner.svg) ![Medical stethoscope and US flag on a pink background signifying advocacy]()](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/advocacy\/#medicare \"Learn How AARP is Fighting for Better Medicare\")\n\nAdvocacy\n\n[Learn How AARP is Fighting for Better Medicare](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/advocacy\/#medicare)\n\n[Back](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/how-covid-reinfection-affects-older-adults\/)\n\n[Caregiving](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/caregiving\/ \"Link to caregiving channel page\")\n\n[Close Menu](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/how-covid-reinfection-affects-older-adults\/ \"Link to close menu\")\n\n[Basics](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/caregiving\/basics\/ \"Link to basics laning page\")\n\n[Care at Home](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/caregiving\/home-care\/ \"Link to care at home landing page\")\n\n[Medical](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/caregiving\/medical\/ \"Link to medical landing page\")\n\n[Financial & Legal](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/caregiving\/financial-legal\/ \"Link to the finance and legal landing page\")\n\n[Life Balance](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/caregiving\/life-balance\/ \"Link to life balance landing page\")\n\n[Local](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/caregiving\/local\/ \"Link to the local landing page\")\n\n[Member Benefits](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/membership\/benefits\/caregiving\/)\n\n[![](https:\/\/cdn.aarp.net\/etc\/uxdia\/images\/uxdia-spinner.svg) ![person stands at a door marked with a first aid cross there are a series of many doors and the person is wondering which is the best choice]()](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/caregiving\/financial-legal\/understanding-long-term-care-insurance\/ \"Understanding Basics of LTC Insurance\")\n\nLONG-TERM CARE\n\n[Understanding Basics of LTC Insurance](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/caregiving\/financial-legal\/understanding-long-term-care-insurance\/)\n\n[![](https:\/\/cdn.aarp.net\/etc\/uxdia\/images\/uxdia-spinner.svg) ![illustration of a map with an icon of a person helping another person with a cane navigate towards caregiving]()](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/caregiving\/care-connect\/resources\/ \"Assistance and Services in Your Area\")\n\nState Guides\n\n[Assistance and Services in Your Area](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/caregiving\/care-connect\/resources\/)\n\n[![](https:\/\/cdn.aarp.net\/etc\/uxdia\/images\/uxdia-spinner.svg) ![]()](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/caregiving\/prepare-to-care-planning-guide\/ \"How to Develop a Caregiving Plan\")\n\nPrepare to Care Guides\n\n[How to Develop a Caregiving Plan](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/caregiving\/prepare-to-care-planning-guide\/)\n\n[![](https:\/\/cdn.aarp.net\/etc\/uxdia\/images\/uxdia-spinner.svg) ![Close up of a hospice nurse holding the hands of one of her patients]()](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/caregiving\/grief-loss-end-of-life\/ \"How to Cope With Grief, Loss\")\n\nEnd of Life\n\n[How to Cope With Grief, Loss](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/caregiving\/grief-loss-end-of-life\/)\n\n[Back](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/how-covid-reinfection-affects-older-adults\/)\n\n[Games](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/games\/)\n\n[Close Menu](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/how-covid-reinfection-affects-older-adults\/ \"Link to close menu\")\n\n[All](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/games\/category\/all-games\/ \"Link to the AARP All Games landing page\")\n\n[Recently Played](https:\/\/games.aarp.org\/category\/recently-played \"Link to AARP recently played games\")\n\n[Word & Trivia](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/games\/category\/word\/ \"Link to AARP Games Word and Trivia category landing page\")\n\n[Rewards](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/games\/category\/rewards-games\/ \"Link to the AARP Games Rewards category landing age\")\n\n[Atari® & Retro](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/games\/category\/atari-games\/ \"Link to the AARP Games Atari and Retro category landing page\")\n\n[Mahjongg](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/games\/category\/mahjongg\/ \"Link to the AARP Games Mahjongg category landing page\")\n\n[Members Only](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/games\/category\/members\/ \"Link to the AARP Games Members Only category landing page\")\n\n[Staying Sharp](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/games\/category\/staying-sharp\/ \"Link to the AARP Games Staying Sharp category landing page\")\n\n[Solitare](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/games\/category\/solitaire\/ \"Link to the AARP Games Solitare category landing page\")\n\n[New Games](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/games\/category\/new\/ \"Link to new games webpage\")\n\n[Strategy](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/games\/category\/strategy\/ \"Link to the AARP Games Strategy category landing page\")\n\n[Arcade](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/games\/category\/arcade\/ \"Link to the AARP Games Arcade category landing page\")\n\n[Puzzles](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/games\/category\/puzzles\/ \"Link to the AARP Games Puzzle category landing page\")\n\n[Card](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/games\/category\/card\/ \"Link to the AARP Games Card category landing page\")\n\n[Juegos](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/games\/category\/juegos-espanol\/ \"Link to the AARP Games Juegos category landing page\")\n\n[Daily](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/games\/category\/daily-games\/ \"Link to the AARP Games Daily category landing page\")\n\n[Game Shows](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/games\/category\/game-shows\/ \"Learn more about the game show\")\n\n[Multiplayer](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/games\/category\/multiplayer-games\/ \"Learn more about the multiplayer games\")\n\n[More About Games](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/games\/more-on-games\/ \"Learn more about A A R P games\")\n\n[![](https:\/\/cdn.aarp.net\/etc\/uxdia\/images\/uxdia-spinner.svg) ![AARP Right Again Trivia and AARP Rewards]()](https:\/\/games.aarp.org\/games\/right-again-trivia \"Right Again! Trivia\")\n\n[Right Again! Trivia](https:\/\/games.aarp.org\/games\/right-again-trivia)\n\n[![](https:\/\/cdn.aarp.net\/etc\/uxdia\/images\/uxdia-spinner.svg) ![AARP Right Again Trivia Sports and AARP Rewards]()](https:\/\/games.aarp.org\/games\/right-again-trivia-sports \"Right Again! Trivia – Sports\")\n\n[Right Again! Trivia – Sports](https:\/\/games.aarp.org\/games\/right-again-trivia-sports)\n\n[![](https:\/\/cdn.aarp.net\/etc\/uxdia\/images\/uxdia-spinner.svg) ![Atari, Centipede, Pong, Breakout, Missile Command Asteroids]()](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/games\/category\/atari-games\/ \"Atari® Video Games\")\n\n[Atari® Video Games](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/games\/category\/atari-games\/)\n\n[![](https:\/\/cdn.aarp.net\/etc\/uxdia\/images\/uxdia-spinner.svg) ![Throwback Thursday Crossword and AARP Rewards]()](https:\/\/games.aarp.org\/games\/throwback-thursday-crossword \"Throwback Thursday Crossword\")\n\n[Throwback Thursday Crossword](https:\/\/games.aarp.org\/games\/throwback-thursday-crossword)\n\n[Back](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/how-covid-reinfection-affects-older-adults\/)\n\n[Travel](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/travel\/ \"Link to travel channel page\")\n\n[Close Menu](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/how-covid-reinfection-affects-older-adults\/ \"Link to close menu\")\n\n[Travel Tips](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/travel\/travel-tips\/ \"Link to travel tips page\")\n\n[Vacation Ideas](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/travel\/vacation-ideas\/ \"Link to vacation ideas landing page\")\n\n[Destinations](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/travel\/destinations\/ \"Link to destinations landing page\")\n\n[Travel Benefits](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/membership\/benefits\/travel\/ \"AARP Travel Benefits\")\n\n[![](https:\/\/cdn.aarp.net\/etc\/uxdia\/images\/uxdia-spinner.svg) ![]()](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/travel\/vacation-ideas\/affordable-off-peak-getaways\/ \"Budget-Friendly Locations\")\n\nOFF-PEAK TRAVEL\n\n[Budget-Friendly Locations](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/travel\/vacation-ideas\/affordable-off-peak-getaways\/)\n\n[![](https:\/\/cdn.aarp.net\/etc\/uxdia\/images\/uxdia-spinner.svg) ![]()](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/travel\/travel-tips\/real-id-questions\/ \"No Real ID? $45 Fee Starts Feb. 1\")\n\nNEW TSA FEE\n\n[No Real ID? \\$45 Fee Starts Feb. 1](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/travel\/travel-tips\/real-id-questions\/)\n\n[![](https:\/\/cdn.aarp.net\/etc\/uxdia\/images\/uxdia-spinner.svg) ![]() MEMBERS ONLY](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/travel\/travel-tips\/luxury-travel-retirement-budget\/ \"How to Travel on a Retirement Budget\")\n\nLUXURY TRAVEL FOR LESS\n\n[How to Travel on a Retirement Budget](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/travel\/travel-tips\/luxury-travel-retirement-budget\/)\n\nMEMBERS ONLY\n\n[![](https:\/\/cdn.aarp.net\/etc\/uxdia\/images\/uxdia-spinner.svg) ![]()](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/travel\/travel-tips\/preserve-trip-memories\/ \"Ideas to Capture Vacation Moments\")\n\nPRESERVE TRIP MEMORIES\n\n[Ideas to Capture Vacation Moments](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/travel\/travel-tips\/preserve-trip-memories\/)\n\n- Entertainment & Style\n- Family & Relationships\n- Personal Tech\n- Home & Living\n- Auto\n- Staying Sharp\n- Podcasts\n- Videos\n- Events\n- AARP Near You\n\n[Back](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/how-covid-reinfection-affects-older-adults\/)\n\n[Entertainment & Style](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/entertainment\/ \"Link to entertainment channel page\")\n\n[Close Menu](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/how-covid-reinfection-affects-older-adults\/ \"link to close menu\")\n\n[Movies](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/entertainment\/movies-for-grownups\/ \"Link to movies laning page\")\n\n[TV](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/entertainment\/television\/ \"Link to television landing page\")\n\n[Music](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/entertainment\/music\/ \"Link to the music landing page\")\n\n[Celebrities](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/entertainment\/celebrities\/ \"Link to the celebrity landing page\")\n\n[Beauty & Style](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/entertainment\/beauty-style\/ \"Link to beauty and style landing page\")\n\n[Books](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/entertainment\/books\/ \"Link to books landing page\")\n\n[Member Benefits](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/membership\/benefits\/entertainment\/)\n\n[![](https:\/\/cdn.aarp.net\/etc\/uxdia\/images\/uxdia-spinner.svg) ![]()](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/entertainment\/beauty-style\/winter-white-fashion-tips\/ \"Getting Winter White, Right!\")\n\nBeauty & Style\n\n[Getting Winter White, Right\\!](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/entertainment\/beauty-style\/winter-white-fashion-tips\/)\n\n[![](https:\/\/cdn.aarp.net\/etc\/uxdia\/images\/uxdia-spinner.svg) ![]()](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/entertainment\/movies-for-grownups\/movie-preview-2026\/ \"2026 Movie Preview\")\n\nMovies for Grownups\n\n[2026 Movie Preview](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/entertainment\/movies-for-grownups\/movie-preview-2026\/)\n\n[![](https:\/\/cdn.aarp.net\/etc\/uxdia\/images\/uxdia-spinner.svg) ![]() MEMBERS ONLY](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/entertainment\/music\/essential-songs-for-gen-x\/ \"Essential Songs for Gen Xers\")\n\nMUSIC\n\n[Essential Songs for Gen Xers](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/entertainment\/music\/essential-songs-for-gen-x\/)\n\nMEMBERS ONLY\n\n[Back](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/how-covid-reinfection-affects-older-adults\/)\n\n[Family & Relationships](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/family-relationships\/ \"Link to family and relationships landing page\")\n\n[Close Menu](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/how-covid-reinfection-affects-older-adults\/ \"link to close menu\")\n\n[![](https:\/\/cdn.aarp.net\/etc\/uxdia\/images\/uxdia-spinner.svg) ![graphic of a man and a woman with a cherry in their mouths]()](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/membership\/members-edition\/in-the-mood\/ \"Your Questions Answered\")\n\nSex & Dating\n\n[Your Questions Answered](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/membership\/members-edition\/in-the-mood\/)\n\n[![](https:\/\/cdn.aarp.net\/etc\/uxdia\/images\/uxdia-spinner.svg) ![]()](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/caregiving\/grandparents\/ \"Everything You Need to Know\")\n\nGrandparenting\n\n[Everything You Need to Know](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/caregiving\/grandparents\/)\n\n[![](https:\/\/cdn.aarp.net\/etc\/uxdia\/images\/uxdia-spinner.svg) ![]() MEMBERS ONLY](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/family-relationships\/great-ways-to-bond-with-your-dog\/ \"Great Ways to Bond With Your Dog\")\n\nPets\n\n[Great Ways to Bond With Your Dog](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/family-relationships\/great-ways-to-bond-with-your-dog\/)\n\nMEMBERS ONLY\n\n[Back](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/how-covid-reinfection-affects-older-adults\/)\n\n[Personal Tech](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/personal-technology\/ \"link to personal tech landing page\")\n\n[Close Menu](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/how-covid-reinfection-affects-older-adults\/ \"link to close menu\")\n\n[![](https:\/\/cdn.aarp.net\/etc\/uxdia\/images\/uxdia-spinner.svg) ![a tablet displaying smart home controls in a living room]()](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/personal-technology\/caregiving-smart-home-technology\/ \"Caregiver’s Guide to Smart Home Tech\")\n\nHome Technology\n\n[Caregiver’s Guide to Smart Home Tech](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/personal-technology\/caregiving-smart-home-technology\/)\n\n[![](https:\/\/cdn.aarp.net\/etc\/uxdia\/images\/uxdia-spinner.svg) ![]()](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/social-connections\/ \"Creating Social Connections\")\n\nGet Happier\n\n[Creating Social Connections](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/social-connections\/)\n\n[![](https:\/\/cdn.aarp.net\/etc\/uxdia\/images\/uxdia-spinner.svg) ![a hand is touching computer signals on a blue background]()](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/personal-technology\/artificial-intelligence\/ \"Weighing the Perils and Positives\")\n\nPOSSIBILITIES OF AI\n\n[Weighing the Perils and Positives](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/personal-technology\/artificial-intelligence\/)\n\n[Back](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/how-covid-reinfection-affects-older-adults\/)\n\n[Home & Living](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/home-living\/ \"link to your home landing page\")\n\n[Close Menu](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/how-covid-reinfection-affects-older-adults\/ \"link to close menu\")\n\n[![](https:\/\/cdn.aarp.net\/etc\/uxdia\/images\/uxdia-spinner.svg) ![]()](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/home-living\/fall-prevention-safety-tips\/ \"Tips to Prevent Dangerous Falls\")\n\nSAFE AT HOME\n\n[Tips to Prevent Dangerous Falls](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/home-living\/fall-prevention-safety-tips\/)\n\n[![](https:\/\/cdn.aarp.net\/etc\/uxdia\/images\/uxdia-spinner.svg) ![]()](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/home-living\/is-over-55-community-right-for-you\/ \"Is a 55+ Community Right for You?\")\n\nAGING IN PLACE\n\n[Is a 55+ Community Right for You?](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/home-living\/is-over-55-community-right-for-you\/)\n\n[![](https:\/\/cdn.aarp.net\/etc\/uxdia\/images\/uxdia-spinner.svg) ![]() MEMBERS ONLY](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/home-living\/guide-to-getting-rid-of-anything\/ \"What to Do With Your Unwanted Stuff\")\n\nDeclutter\n\n[What to Do With Your Unwanted Stuff](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/home-living\/guide-to-getting-rid-of-anything\/)\n\nMEMBERS ONLY\n\n[Back](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/how-covid-reinfection-affects-older-adults\/)\n\n[Auto](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/auto\/ \"Link to auto channel page\")\n\n[Close Menu](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/how-covid-reinfection-affects-older-adults\/ \"link to close menu\")\n\n[Car Buying](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/auto\/car-buying\/ \"Link to car buying landing page\")\n\n[Driver Safety](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/auto\/driver-safety\/ \"Link to driver safety landing page\")\n\n[Maintenance & 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A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply.\n\n[Continue](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/how-covid-reinfection-affects-older-adults\/) [Cancel](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/how-covid-reinfection-affects-older-adults\/)\n\n[Health](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/)\n\n# What Happens to Older Adults Who Get COVID-19 Multiple Times?\n## Amid a summer surge, doctors remind older adults that repeat infections can cause more severe symptoms\n***\nBy\n\nKimberly Goad,\n\nAARP\n\n18\n\nComments\n\n[En español](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/espanol\/salud\/enfermedades-y-tratamientos\/info-2024\/contraer-covid-varias-veces-personas-mayores.html)\n\nPublished  July 31, 2024\n\n![](https:\/\/cdn.aarp.net\/etc\/uxdia\/images\/uxdia-spinner.svg)\n\n![covid molecules in an hourglass](https:\/\/aarp.widen.net\/content\/ncxdhjab2f\/jpeg\/102377_OlderAdultsWhoKeepGettingCOVID.jpg?crop=true&anchor=0,0&q=80&color=ffffffff&u=mh5igy&w=1140&h=655)\n\nGetty Images\n\n- [Facebook](http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/how-covid-reinfection-affects-older-adults\/)\n- [Twitter](http:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/how-covid-reinfection-affects-older-adults\/&related=CreateTheGood&text=What%2520Happens%2520to%2520Older%2520Adults%2520Who%2520Get%2520COVID-19%2520Multiple%2520Times?%2520)\n- [LinkedIn](https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/how-covid-reinfection-affects-older-adults\/&title=What%2520Happens%2520to%2520Older%2520Adults%2520Who%2520Get%2520COVID-19%2520Multiple%2520Times?%2520)\n\nIf ever there was a silver lining to getting [COVID-19](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/coronavirus-facts\/ \"covid FAQ\") in the early days of the pandemic, it might have been this belief: Once you caught it, you most likely wouldn’t get it again. Check that box. Your turn was over.\n\nOr so went the conventional wisdom.\n\nMembers only\n\n[aarp\/about-aarp]()\n\n[Sign up for AARP's Weekly 'Webletter' The best of AARP in your inbox every week! Receive the latest money tips, scam alerts, health trends, games and more.](https:\/\/secure.aarp.org\/applications\/user\/auth?promo=AWEBNWSLT&referrer=https:\/\/secure.aarp.org\/applications\/user\/subscribeFromEmail?promo=AWEBNWSLT&id=11724)\n\nMembers only\n\n“As we learned more about COVID, we discovered it could [mutate even faster](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/new-covid-variant-flirt\/ \"new covid variants\") than influenza, and one could be reinfected,” says William Schaffner, M.D., professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee.\n\nAnd not just once or twice but multiple times.\n\n#### **Find COVID-19 vaccines   in your state**\nAARP's [53 state and territory COVID-19 vaccine guides](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/covid-vaccine-state-guides\/ \"state vaccine guides\") can help you find vaccines near you and provide the latest answers to common questions about costs, eligibility and availability.\n\nWhile most people can count on their immune system to do its job and protect them against reinfection, that protection lasts for only about three to four months after your [most recent vaccine](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/cdc-spring-covid-vaccine\/ \"updated covid vaccines\") or infection. Then the immune response begins to wane. “The vaccine provides protection against severe disease,” Schaffner explains, “but it’s not as good at preventing transmission from one to another.”\n\nThe good news: For many people, subsequent infections [will be as mild as or maybe milder](https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC9961977\/ \"repeat infection severity study\") than their first bout with COVID-19, suggests a review of research published in 2023 in the *International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health*. “Repeat infections are likely for all, much as they are for other viruses that cause respiratory infections,” says Paul Sax, M.D., clinical director of the division of infectious diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. And generally, these repeat infections are milder than the first, he explains, due to the immunity the body has accumulated from vaccines and any prior infections.\n\nThere are exceptions, Sax adds. “But this is the primary reason why even though COVID hasn’t gone anywhere, we have never come close to the hospitalization numbers we had in the first two years of the pandemic,” he says.\n\nThat doesn’t mean, however, that reinfections are risk-free.\n\n![](https:\/\/cdn.aarp.net\/etc\/uxdia\/images\/uxdia-spinner.svg)\n\n![newsletter-naw-tablet](https:\/\/cdn.aarp.net\/content\/dam\/experience-fragments\/uxdia-folder-structure\/en\/next-action-widgets\/newsletter_naw\/Newsletter_NAW\/health\/_jcr_content\/root\/responsivegrid\/container_copy\/articleimage.coreimg.75.1140.jpeg\/content\/dam\/aarp\/QA_bucket\/widgetimages\/newsletter_NAW_tablet.jpg)\n\nAARP NEWSLETTERS\n\n![](https:\/\/cdn.aarp.net\/etc\/uxdia\/images\/uxdia-spinner.svg)\n\n![Mujer leyendo tableta](https:\/\/cdn.aarp.net\/content\/dam\/experience-fragments\/uxdia-folder-structure\/en\/next-action-widgets\/newsletter_naw\/Newsletter_NAW\/health\/_jcr_content\/root\/responsivegrid\/container_copy\/container\/container\/articleimage.coreimg.75.1140.png\/content\/dam\/aarp\/QA_bucket\/widgetimages\/newsletter_NAW_desktop.png)\n\nGet the Your Health newsletter from AARP\n\n**Sign up for the latest health news, fitness and nutrition updates and more\\!**\n\n[See All Newsletters](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/newsletters\/)\n\n[Privacy Hub](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/privacy\/ \"privacy hub link\")\n\nARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER ADVERTISEMENT\n\n### **Common but not harmless**\n[Four-plus years since the pandemic began](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/covid-still-affects-older-adults\/ \"COVID still affects older adults\") and it’s still too soon to have any definitive answers about the dangers of getting COVID-19 multiple times, says Marc Sala, M.D., codirector of the Northwestern Medicine Comprehensive COVID-19 Center in Illinois. “The virus is novel enough that we need long-term data and a large population to know what the collateral effects are for having had COVID multiple times,” he says. “We just haven’t had the follow-up time for it.”\n\nMembers only\n\n[Entertainment]()\n\n[AARP TV for Grownups TV show reviews, news and celebrity interviews](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/membership\/benefits\/entertainment\/tv-for-grownups\/)\n\nMembers only\n\nAlthough doctors and scientists are still trying to get a handle on the health consequences of getting reinfected, this much seems certain: There is no such thing as risk-free COVID-19. That’s especially true for people who are more likely to experience severe symptoms.\n\nA recent study published in the journal *Communications Medicine* suggests that older people, as well as people with weakened immune systems and those who experienced severe COVID-19 the first time around, are at a [greater risk for a severe case](https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s43856-024-00539-2 \"weakened immune response and repeat infection\") if they’re reinfected.\n\nLess certain? Whether multiple bouts of COVID-19 raise your chances of experiencing what’s known as long COVID — the persistence of symptoms such as fatigue, fever, cough and difficulty concentrating that last for at least three months postinfection.\n\nA study published in 2022 in *Nature Medicine* found that people who got COVID-19 at least twice were more than three times as likely to [develop short-term and long-term health effects](https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41591-022-02051-3 \"repeat infection and health effects\"), including lung and heart issues, and over 1.5 times as likely to have a neurological disorder, including brain fog and strokes, compared to those who were infected once.\n\n“While we know that vaccines are protective from most complications from COVID, especially the very severe ones, it’s not quite perfect when it comes to long COVID,” Sala says. “We have some data that suggest that the higher number of infections puts you at greater risk of having long COVID at some point. But even that isn’t always consistent.”\n\nARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER ADVERTISEMENT\n\n### **How to avoid reinfection**\nYou might think COVID-19 takes a break in the summer — like many other common respiratory viruses — but that’s not true. Unlike the flu, which comes on strong in the winter and disappears during the summer, COVID never leaves, Schaffner says.\n\nAlthough the usual tendency is to spend more time outdoors during summer months, which reduces the risk of infection, [record-breaking temperatures](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/extreme-heat\/ \"extreme heat\") mean people are finding relief indoors. “That provides opportunities for these COVID variants to spread because they’re very contagious,” Schaffner says. “The variants tend to produce milder disease, but high-risk groups are more likely to develop serious disease even if they get infected with these omicron variants.”\n\nWhat to do? The usual: Stay up to date with vaccines, use common sense precautions like masking up when you’re in crowded spaces, test as soon as possible if you experience symptoms, and [use antiviral medications](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/drugs-supplements\/are-paxlovid-covid-treatments-still-free\/ \"are covid treatments still free\") like Paxlovid if you do test positive, since controlling the virus as quickly as possible can help reduce any long-term or lingering effects.\n\nThese measures are especially important for people 50-plus and those with medical conditions like heart disease, obesity, diabetes or [chronic lung disease](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/copd-and-other-lung-disease-warning-signs\/ \"lung disease\"), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.\n\n“What we have to remember is that COVID has not gone away; it’s still with us,” Schaffner says. “Older people who get infected are more apt to get severe COVID, and there is a tendency for long COVID to develop more frequently after severe disease — all the more reason for us to be prudent when we know COVID is out there circulating.”\n\n[%{postComment}%](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/how-covid-reinfection-affects-older-adults\/#comments_widget_id)\n\n*Kimberly Goad is a New York-based journalist who has covered health for some of the nation’s top consumer publications. 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Been using this whole time, family of 4 adults, all Novids! Why is it considered a 4 letter word?\n   \n   reply\n   \n   3\n   \n   share\n   \n   report\n   \n   0\n   \n   0 older replies\n   \n   show older replies\n2. #### Comment by sm8332.\n   sm\n   \n   sm8332\n   \n   August 19, 2024\n   \n   Want to avoid Covid? Be sure to have avoided the vaccine.\n   \n   reply\n   \n   2\n   \n   share\n   \n   report\n   \n   0\n   \n   0 older replies\n   \n   show older replies\n3. #### Comment by Hades.\n   Ha\n   \n   Hades\n   \n   August 2, 2024\n   \n   It appears you can’t say certain things on here.\n   \n   reply\n   \n   2 replies\n   \n   2\n   \n   share\n   \n   report\n   \n   0\n   \n   0 older replies\n   \n   show older replies\n   \n   - #### Reply by 2Papa.\n     2P\n     \n     2Papa\n     \n     August 3, 2024\n     \n     Reply to Hades\n     \n     They are using AI editing.\n     \n     reply\n     \n     1 reply\n     \n     0\n     \n     share\n     \n     report\n   - #### Reply by Hades.\n     Ha\n     \n     Hades\n     \n     August 4, 2024\n     \n     Reply to 2Papa\n     \n     That’s why I like X\n     \n     reply\n     \n     0\n     \n     share\n     \n     report\n4. #### Comment by PatriciaR308840.\n   Pa\n   \n   PatriciaR308840\n   \n   August 2, 2024\n   \n   My sister caught Covid again. She travels a lot and sat next to a preteen that was constantly blowing her nose. I don’t think I ever had it . I’m afraid for my sister.\n   \n   reply\n   \n   1 reply\n   \n   1\n   \n   share\n   \n   report\n   \n   0\n   \n   0 older replies\n   \n   show older replies\n   \n   - #### Reply by Hades.\n     Ha\n     \n     Hades\n     \n     August 2, 2024\n     \n     Reply to PatriciaR308840\n     \n     What?👀🤔edited\n     \n     reply\n     \n     0\n     \n     share\n     \n     report\n5. #### Comment by dmthies.\n   dm\n   \n   dmthies\n   \n   July 31, 2024\n   \n   I have had COVID twice, 2022 and 2023, and I have had 7 COVID shots. The symptoms of the 2nd case were not as bad as the first, which was not severe for me. I am a 77-yr old male in good physical condition.edited\n   \n   reply\n   \n   1 reply\n   \n   5\n   \n   share\n   \n   report\n   \n   0\n   \n   0 older replies\n   \n   show older replies\n   \n   - #### Reply by Hades.\n     Ha\n     \n     Hades\n     \n     August 2, 2024\n     \n     Reply to dmthies\n     \n     7 shots? What? I have had zero. And fine. That’s not the one to worry about.\n     \n     Things like influenza and str thr. oat. Are bad. edited\n     \n     reply\n     \n     2\n     \n     share\n     \n     report\n\nLoad more comments\n\nPowered by\n\n{ \"articlePagePath\" :\"\/content\/aarpe\/en\/home\/health\/conditions-treatments\/how-covid-reinfection-affects-older-adults\", \"aarpId\" : \"0cb7c9e88852fe32a3b9bee8162bb1c5\" \"customContainerId\" : \"\" \"limit\" : \"5\" \"paginationLimit\" : \"5\" \"replyLimit\" : \"2\" \"paginationReplyLimit\" : \"5\" \"sort\" : \"\" \"featuredTabActiveThreshold\" : \"5\" }\n\nBenefits Recommended For You\n\n[See All](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/membership\/benefits\/all-offers-a-z\/ \"See All\")\n\n[![](https:\/\/cdn.aarp.net\/etc\/uxdia\/images\/uxdia-spinner.svg) ![Couple relaxing in their living room in front of grey couch with man pointing TV remote to change the channel](https:\/\/aarp.widen.net\/content\/uo5t9ygeix\/jpeg\/DBR_TVforGrownupsStock_06092025.jpg?anchor=0%2C0&q=80&color=ffffffff&u=w1npqh) Members only Entertainment AARP TV for Grownups TV show reviews, 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hourglass](https:\/\/aarp.widen.net\/content\/ncxdhjab2f\/jpeg\/102377_OlderAdultsWhoKeepGettingCOVID.jpg?crop=true&anchor=0,0&q=80&color=ffffffff&u=mh5igy&w=1140&h=655)\n\nGetty Images\n\nIf ever there was a silver lining to getting [COVID-19](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/coronavirus-facts\/ \"covid FAQ\") in the early days of the pandemic, it might have been this belief: Once you caught it, you most likely wouldn’t get it again. Check that box. Your turn was over.\n\nOr so went the conventional wisdom.\n\n“As we learned more about COVID, we discovered it could [mutate even faster](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/new-covid-variant-flirt\/ \"new covid variants\") than influenza, and one could be reinfected,” says William Schaffner, M.D., professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee.\n\nAnd not just once or twice but multiple times.\n\nWhile most people can count on their immune system to do its job and protect them against reinfection, that protection lasts for only about three to four months after your [most recent vaccine](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/cdc-spring-covid-vaccine\/ \"updated covid vaccines\") or infection. Then the immune response begins to wane. “The vaccine provides protection against severe disease,” Schaffner explains, “but it’s not as good at preventing transmission from one to another.”\n\nThe good news: For many people, subsequent infections [will be as mild as or maybe milder](https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC9961977\/ \"repeat infection severity study\") than their first bout with COVID-19, suggests a review of research published in 2023 in the *International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health*. “Repeat infections are likely for all, much as they are for other viruses that cause respiratory infections,” says Paul Sax, M.D., clinical director of the division of infectious diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. And generally, these repeat infections are milder than the first, he explains, due to the immunity the body has accumulated from vaccines and any prior infections.\n\nThere are exceptions, Sax adds. “But this is the primary reason why even though COVID hasn’t gone anywhere, we have never come close to the hospitalization numbers we had in the first two years of the pandemic,” he says.\n\nThat doesn’t mean, however, that reinfections are risk-free.\n\n### **Common but not harmless**\n[Four-plus years since the pandemic began](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/covid-still-affects-older-adults\/ \"COVID still affects older adults\") and it’s still too soon to have any definitive answers about the dangers of getting COVID-19 multiple times, says Marc Sala, M.D., codirector of the Northwestern Medicine Comprehensive COVID-19 Center in Illinois. “The virus is novel enough that we need long-term data and a large population to know what the collateral effects are for having had COVID multiple times,” he says. “We just haven’t had the follow-up time for it.”\n\nAlthough doctors and scientists are still trying to get a handle on the health consequences of getting reinfected, this much seems certain: There is no such thing as risk-free COVID-19. That’s especially true for people who are more likely to experience severe symptoms.\n\nA recent study published in the journal *Communications Medicine* suggests that older people, as well as people with weakened immune systems and those who experienced severe COVID-19 the first time around, are at a [greater risk for a severe case](https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s43856-024-00539-2 \"weakened immune response and repeat infection\") if they’re reinfected.\n\nLess certain? Whether multiple bouts of COVID-19 raise your chances of experiencing what’s known as long COVID — the persistence of symptoms such as fatigue, fever, cough and difficulty concentrating that last for at least three months postinfection.\n\nA study published in 2022 in *Nature Medicine* found that people who got COVID-19 at least twice were more than three times as likely to [develop short-term and long-term health effects](https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41591-022-02051-3 \"repeat infection and health effects\"), including lung and heart issues, and over 1.5 times as likely to have a neurological disorder, including brain fog and strokes, compared to those who were infected once.\n\n“While we know that vaccines are protective from most complications from COVID, especially the very severe ones, it’s not quite perfect when it comes to long COVID,” Sala says. “We have some data that suggest that the higher number of infections puts you at greater risk of having long COVID at some point. But even that isn’t always consistent.”\n\n### **How to avoid reinfection**\nYou might think COVID-19 takes a break in the summer — like many other common respiratory viruses — but that’s not true. Unlike the flu, which comes on strong in the winter and disappears during the summer, COVID never leaves, Schaffner says.\n\nAlthough the usual tendency is to spend more time outdoors during summer months, which reduces the risk of infection, [record-breaking temperatures](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/extreme-heat\/ \"extreme heat\") mean people are finding relief indoors. “That provides opportunities for these COVID variants to spread because they’re very contagious,” Schaffner says. “The variants tend to produce milder disease, but high-risk groups are more likely to develop serious disease even if they get infected with these omicron variants.”\n\nWhat to do? The usual: Stay up to date with vaccines, use common sense precautions like masking up when you’re in crowded spaces, test as soon as possible if you experience symptoms, and [use antiviral medications](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/drugs-supplements\/are-paxlovid-covid-treatments-still-free\/ \"are covid treatments still free\") like Paxlovid if you do test positive, since controlling the virus as quickly as possible can help reduce any long-term or lingering effects.\n\nThese measures are especially important for people 50-plus and those with medical conditions like heart disease, obesity, diabetes or [chronic lung disease](https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/health\/conditions-treatments\/copd-and-other-lung-disease-warning-signs\/ \"lung disease\"), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.\n\n“What we have to remember is that COVID has not gone away; it’s still with us,” Schaffner says. “Older people who get infected are more apt to get severe COVID, and there is a tendency for long COVID to develop more frequently after severe disease — all the more reason for us to be prudent when we know COVID is out there circulating.”\n\n*Kimberly Goad is a New York-based journalist who has covered health for some of the nation’s top consumer publications. Her work has appeared in* Women’s Health*,* Prevention*,* Health *and* Reader's Digest*.*","meta_canonical":null}

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URL	https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/how-covid-reinfection-affects-older-adults/
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Meta Title	How COVID Reinfection Can Affect Older Adults
Meta Description	Multiple COVID reinfections can cause more severe symptoms. Learn more about COVID reinfection and its effect on older adults.
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Boilerpipe Text	Getty Images If ever there was a silver lining to getting COVID-19 in the early days of the pandemic, it might have been this belief: Once you caught it, you most likely wouldn’t get it again. Check that box. Your turn was over. Or so went the conventional wisdom. “As we learned more about COVID, we discovered it could mutate even faster than influenza, and one could be reinfected,” says William Schaffner, M.D., professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. And not just once or twice but multiple times. While most people can count on their immune system to do its job and protect them against reinfection, that protection lasts for only about three to four months after your most recent vaccine or infection. Then the immune response begins to wane. “The vaccine provides protection against severe disease,” Schaffner explains, “but it’s not as good at preventing transmission from one to another.” The good news: For many people, subsequent infections will be as mild as or maybe milder than their first bout with COVID-19, suggests a review of research published in 2023 in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health . “Repeat infections are likely for all, much as they are for other viruses that cause respiratory infections,” says Paul Sax, M.D., clinical director of the division of infectious diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. And generally, these repeat infections are milder than the first, he explains, due to the immunity the body has accumulated from vaccines and any prior infections. There are exceptions, Sax adds. “But this is the primary reason why even though COVID hasn’t gone anywhere, we have never come close to the hospitalization numbers we had in the first two years of the pandemic,” he says. That doesn’t mean, however, that reinfections are risk-free. Common but not harmless Four-plus years since the pandemic began and it’s still too soon to have any definitive answers about the dangers of getting COVID-19 multiple times, says Marc Sala, M.D., codirector of the Northwestern Medicine Comprehensive COVID-19 Center in Illinois. “The virus is novel enough that we need long-term data and a large population to know what the collateral effects are for having had COVID multiple times,” he says. “We just haven’t had the follow-up time for it.” Although doctors and scientists are still trying to get a handle on the health consequences of getting reinfected, this much seems certain: There is no such thing as risk-free COVID-19. That’s especially true for people who are more likely to experience severe symptoms. A recent study published in the journal Communications Medicine suggests that older people, as well as people with weakened immune systems and those who experienced severe COVID-19 the first time around, are at a greater risk for a severe case if they’re reinfected. Less certain? Whether multiple bouts of COVID-19 raise your chances of experiencing what’s known as long COVID — the persistence of symptoms such as fatigue, fever, cough and difficulty concentrating that last for at least three months postinfection. A study published in 2022 in Nature Medicine found that people who got COVID-19 at least twice were more than three times as likely to develop short-term and long-term health effects , including lung and heart issues, and over 1.5 times as likely to have a neurological disorder, including brain fog and strokes, compared to those who were infected once. “While we know that vaccines are protective from most complications from COVID, especially the very severe ones, it’s not quite perfect when it comes to long COVID,” Sala says. “We have some data that suggest that the higher number of infections puts you at greater risk of having long COVID at some point. But even that isn’t always consistent.” How to avoid reinfection You might think COVID-19 takes a break in the summer — like many other common respiratory viruses — but that’s not true. Unlike the flu, which comes on strong in the winter and disappears during the summer, COVID never leaves, Schaffner says. Although the usual tendency is to spend more time outdoors during summer months, which reduces the risk of infection, record-breaking temperatures mean people are finding relief indoors. “That provides opportunities for these COVID variants to spread because they’re very contagious,” Schaffner says. “The variants tend to produce milder disease, but high-risk groups are more likely to develop serious disease even if they get infected with these omicron variants.” What to do? The usual: Stay up to date with vaccines, use common sense precautions like masking up when you’re in crowded spaces, test as soon as possible if you experience symptoms, and use antiviral medications like Paxlovid if you do test positive, since controlling the virus as quickly as possible can help reduce any long-term or lingering effects. These measures are especially important for people 50-plus and those with medical conditions like heart disease, obesity, diabetes or chronic lung disease , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. “What we have to remember is that COVID has not gone away; it’s still with us,” Schaffner says. “Older people who get infected are more apt to get severe COVID, and there is a tendency for long COVID to develop more frequently after severe disease — all the more reason for us to be prudent when we know COVID is out there circulating.” Kimberly Goad is a New York-based journalist who has covered health for some of the nation’s top consumer publications. Her work has appeared in Women’s Health , Prevention , Health and Reader's Digest .
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[Continue](https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/how-covid-reinfection-affects-older-adults/) [Cancel](https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/how-covid-reinfection-affects-older-adults/) [Health](https://www.aarp.org/health/) # What Happens to Older Adults Who Get COVID-19 Multiple Times? ## Amid a summer surge, doctors remind older adults that repeat infections can cause more severe symptoms * By Kimberly Goad, AARP 18 Comments [En español](https://www.aarp.org/espanol/salud/enfermedades-y-tratamientos/info-2024/contraer-covid-varias-veces-personas-mayores.html) Published July 31, 2024 ![](https://cdn.aarp.net/etc/uxdia/images/uxdia-spinner.svg) ![covid molecules in an hourglass](https://aarp.widen.net/content/ncxdhjab2f/jpeg/102377_OlderAdultsWhoKeepGettingCOVID.jpg?crop=true&anchor=0,0&q=80&color=ffffffff&u=mh5igy&w=1140&h=655) Getty Images - [Facebook](http://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/how-covid-reinfection-affects-older-adults/) - [Twitter](http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/how-covid-reinfection-affects-older-adults/&related=CreateTheGood&text=What%2520Happens%2520to%2520Older%2520Adults%2520Who%2520Get%2520COVID-19%2520Multiple%2520Times?%2520) - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/how-covid-reinfection-affects-older-adults/&title=What%2520Happens%2520to%2520Older%2520Adults%2520Who%2520Get%2520COVID-19%2520Multiple%2520Times?%2520) If ever there was a silver lining to getting [COVID-19](https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/coronavirus-facts/ "covid FAQ") in the early days of the pandemic, it might have been this belief: Once you caught it, you most likely wouldn’t get it again. Check that box. Your turn was over. Or so went the conventional wisdom. Members only [aarp/about-aarp]() [Sign up for AARP's Weekly 'Webletter' The best of AARP in your inbox every week! Receive the latest money tips, scam alerts, health trends, games and more.](https://secure.aarp.org/applications/user/auth?promo=AWEBNWSLT&referrer=https://secure.aarp.org/applications/user/subscribeFromEmail?promo=AWEBNWSLT&id=11724) Members only “As we learned more about COVID, we discovered it could [mutate even faster](https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/new-covid-variant-flirt/ "new covid variants") than influenza, and one could be reinfected,” says William Schaffner, M.D., professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. And not just once or twice but multiple times. #### Find COVID-19 vaccines in your state** AARP's [53 state and territory COVID-19 vaccine guides](https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/covid-vaccine-state-guides/ "state vaccine guides") can help you find vaccines near you and provide the latest answers to common questions about costs, eligibility and availability. While most people can count on their immune system to do its job and protect them against reinfection, that protection lasts for only about three to four months after your [most recent vaccine](https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/cdc-spring-covid-vaccine/ "updated covid vaccines") or infection. Then the immune response begins to wane. “The vaccine provides protection against severe disease,” Schaffner explains, “but it’s not as good at preventing transmission from one to another.” The good news: For many people, subsequent infections [will be as mild as or maybe milder](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9961977/ "repeat infection severity study") than their first bout with COVID-19, suggests a review of research published in 2023 in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. “Repeat infections are likely for all, much as they are for other viruses that cause respiratory infections,” says Paul Sax, M.D., clinical director of the division of infectious diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. And generally, these repeat infections are milder than the first, he explains, due to the immunity the body has accumulated from vaccines and any prior infections. There are exceptions, Sax adds. “But this is the primary reason why even though COVID hasn’t gone anywhere, we have never come close to the hospitalization numbers we had in the first two years of the pandemic,” he says. That doesn’t mean, however, that reinfections are risk-free. ![](https://cdn.aarp.net/etc/uxdia/images/uxdia-spinner.svg) ![newsletter-naw-tablet](https://cdn.aarp.net/content/dam/experience-fragments/uxdia-folder-structure/en/next-action-widgets/newsletter_naw/Newsletter_NAW/health/_jcr_content/root/responsivegrid/container_copy/articleimage.coreimg.75.1140.jpeg/content/dam/aarp/QA_bucket/widgetimages/newsletter_NAW_tablet.jpg) AARP NEWSLETTERS ![](https://cdn.aarp.net/etc/uxdia/images/uxdia-spinner.svg) ![Mujer leyendo tableta](https://cdn.aarp.net/content/dam/experience-fragments/uxdia-folder-structure/en/next-action-widgets/newsletter_naw/Newsletter_NAW/health/_jcr_content/root/responsivegrid/container_copy/container/container/articleimage.coreimg.75.1140.png/content/dam/aarp/QA_bucket/widgetimages/newsletter_NAW_desktop.png) Get the Your Health newsletter from AARP Sign up for the latest health news, fitness and nutrition updates and more\! [See All Newsletters](https://www.aarp.org/newsletters/) [Privacy Hub](https://www.aarp.org/privacy/ "privacy hub link") ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER ADVERTISEMENT ### Common but not harmless [Four-plus years since the pandemic began](https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/covid-still-affects-older-adults/ "COVID still affects older adults") and it’s still too soon to have any definitive answers about the dangers of getting COVID-19 multiple times, says Marc Sala, M.D., codirector of the Northwestern Medicine Comprehensive COVID-19 Center in Illinois. “The virus is novel enough that we need long-term data and a large population to know what the collateral effects are for having had COVID multiple times,” he says. “We just haven’t had the follow-up time for it.” Members only [Entertainment]() [AARP TV for Grownups TV show reviews, news and celebrity interviews](https://www.aarp.org/membership/benefits/entertainment/tv-for-grownups/) Members only Although doctors and scientists are still trying to get a handle on the health consequences of getting reinfected, this much seems certain: There is no such thing as risk-free COVID-19. That’s especially true for people who are more likely to experience severe symptoms. A recent study published in the journal Communications Medicine suggests that older people, as well as people with weakened immune systems and those who experienced severe COVID-19 the first time around, are at a [greater risk for a severe case](https://www.nature.com/articles/s43856-024-00539-2 "weakened immune response and repeat infection") if they’re reinfected. Less certain? Whether multiple bouts of COVID-19 raise your chances of experiencing what’s known as long COVID — the persistence of symptoms such as fatigue, fever, cough and difficulty concentrating that last for at least three months postinfection. A study published in 2022 in Nature Medicine found that people who got COVID-19 at least twice were more than three times as likely to [develop short-term and long-term health effects](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-022-02051-3 "repeat infection and health effects"), including lung and heart issues, and over 1.5 times as likely to have a neurological disorder, including brain fog and strokes, compared to those who were infected once. “While we know that vaccines are protective from most complications from COVID, especially the very severe ones, it’s not quite perfect when it comes to long COVID,” Sala says. “We have some data that suggest that the higher number of infections puts you at greater risk of having long COVID at some point. But even that isn’t always consistent.” ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER ADVERTISEMENT ### How to avoid reinfection You might think COVID-19 takes a break in the summer — like many other common respiratory viruses — but that’s not true. Unlike the flu, which comes on strong in the winter and disappears during the summer, COVID never leaves, Schaffner says. Although the usual tendency is to spend more time outdoors during summer months, which reduces the risk of infection, [record-breaking temperatures](https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/extreme-heat/ "extreme heat") mean people are finding relief indoors. “That provides opportunities for these COVID variants to spread because they’re very contagious,” Schaffner says. “The variants tend to produce milder disease, but high-risk groups are more likely to develop serious disease even if they get infected with these omicron variants.” What to do? The usual: Stay up to date with vaccines, use common sense precautions like masking up when you’re in crowded spaces, test as soon as possible if you experience symptoms, and [use antiviral medications](https://www.aarp.org/health/drugs-supplements/are-paxlovid-covid-treatments-still-free/ "are covid treatments still free") like Paxlovid if you do test positive, since controlling the virus as quickly as possible can help reduce any long-term or lingering effects. These measures are especially important for people 50-plus and those with medical conditions like heart disease, obesity, diabetes or [chronic lung disease](https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/copd-and-other-lung-disease-warning-signs/ "lung disease"), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. “What we have to remember is that COVID has not gone away; it’s still with us,” Schaffner says. “Older people who get infected are more apt to get severe COVID, and there is a tendency for long COVID to develop more frequently after severe disease — all the more reason for us to be prudent when we know COVID is out there circulating.” [%{postComment}%](https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/how-covid-reinfection-affects-older-adults/#comments_widget_id) Kimberly Goad is a New York-based journalist who has covered health for some of the nation’s top consumer publications. Her work has appeared in Women’s Health, Prevention, Health and Reader's Digest. 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[See All Newsletters](https://www.aarp.org/newsletters/) [Privacy Hub](https://www.aarp.org/privacy/ "privacy hub link") More on Coronavirus [![](https://cdn.aarp.net/etc/uxdia/images/uxdia-spinner.svg) ![](https://aarp.widen.net/content/6ouz0ccc4x/png/102404_CovidSummerSurge.png?crop=true&anchor=0,0&color=ffffffff&u=mh5igy&w=1140&h=655)](https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/covid-vaccine-summer-surge/ "How Can You Stay Protected From COVID’s Summer Surge? 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Ja JanJ112454 August 22, 2024 95 Masks. Been using this whole time, family of 4 adults, all Novids! Why is it considered a 4 letter word? reply 3 share report 0 0 older replies show older replies 2. #### Comment by sm8332. sm sm8332 August 19, 2024 Want to avoid Covid? Be sure to have avoided the vaccine. reply 2 share report 0 0 older replies show older replies 3. #### Comment by Hades. Ha Hades August 2, 2024 It appears you can’t say certain things on here. reply 2 replies 2 share report 0 0 older replies show older replies - #### Reply by 2Papa. 2P 2Papa August 3, 2024 Reply to Hades They are using AI editing. reply 1 reply 0 share report - #### Reply by Hades. Ha Hades August 4, 2024 Reply to 2Papa That’s why I like X reply 0 share report 4. #### Comment by PatriciaR308840. Pa PatriciaR308840 August 2, 2024 My sister caught Covid again. She travels a lot and sat next to a preteen that was constantly blowing her nose. I don’t think I ever had it . I’m afraid for my sister. reply 1 reply 1 share report 0 0 older replies show older replies - #### Reply by Hades. Ha Hades August 2, 2024 Reply to PatriciaR308840 What?👀🤔edited reply 0 share report 5. #### Comment by dmthies. dm dmthies July 31, 2024 I have had COVID twice, 2022 and 2023, and I have had 7 COVID shots. The symptoms of the 2nd case were not as bad as the first, which was not severe for me. I am a 77-yr old male in good physical condition.edited reply 1 reply 5 share report 0 0 older replies show older replies - #### Reply by Hades. Ha Hades August 2, 2024 Reply to dmthies 7 shots? What? I have had zero. And fine. That’s not the one to worry about. Things like influenza and str thr. oat. 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Readable Markdown	![](https://cdn.aarp.net/etc/uxdia/images/uxdia-spinner.svg) ![covid molecules in an hourglass](https://aarp.widen.net/content/ncxdhjab2f/jpeg/102377_OlderAdultsWhoKeepGettingCOVID.jpg?crop=true&anchor=0,0&q=80&color=ffffffff&u=mh5igy&w=1140&h=655) Getty Images If ever there was a silver lining to getting [COVID-19](https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/coronavirus-facts/ "covid FAQ") in the early days of the pandemic, it might have been this belief: Once you caught it, you most likely wouldn’t get it again. Check that box. Your turn was over. Or so went the conventional wisdom. “As we learned more about COVID, we discovered it could [mutate even faster](https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/new-covid-variant-flirt/ "new covid variants") than influenza, and one could be reinfected,” says William Schaffner, M.D., professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. And not just once or twice but multiple times. While most people can count on their immune system to do its job and protect them against reinfection, that protection lasts for only about three to four months after your [most recent vaccine](https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/cdc-spring-covid-vaccine/ "updated covid vaccines") or infection. Then the immune response begins to wane. “The vaccine provides protection against severe disease,” Schaffner explains, “but it’s not as good at preventing transmission from one to another.” The good news: For many people, subsequent infections [will be as mild as or maybe milder](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9961977/ "repeat infection severity study") than their first bout with COVID-19, suggests a review of research published in 2023 in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. “Repeat infections are likely for all, much as they are for other viruses that cause respiratory infections,” says Paul Sax, M.D., clinical director of the division of infectious diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. And generally, these repeat infections are milder than the first, he explains, due to the immunity the body has accumulated from vaccines and any prior infections. There are exceptions, Sax adds. “But this is the primary reason why even though COVID hasn’t gone anywhere, we have never come close to the hospitalization numbers we had in the first two years of the pandemic,” he says. That doesn’t mean, however, that reinfections are risk-free. ### Common but not harmless [Four-plus years since the pandemic began](https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/covid-still-affects-older-adults/ "COVID still affects older adults") and it’s still too soon to have any definitive answers about the dangers of getting COVID-19 multiple times, says Marc Sala, M.D., codirector of the Northwestern Medicine Comprehensive COVID-19 Center in Illinois. “The virus is novel enough that we need long-term data and a large population to know what the collateral effects are for having had COVID multiple times,” he says. “We just haven’t had the follow-up time for it.” Although doctors and scientists are still trying to get a handle on the health consequences of getting reinfected, this much seems certain: There is no such thing as risk-free COVID-19. That’s especially true for people who are more likely to experience severe symptoms. A recent study published in the journal Communications Medicine suggests that older people, as well as people with weakened immune systems and those who experienced severe COVID-19 the first time around, are at a [greater risk for a severe case](https://www.nature.com/articles/s43856-024-00539-2 "weakened immune response and repeat infection") if they’re reinfected. Less certain? Whether multiple bouts of COVID-19 raise your chances of experiencing what’s known as long COVID — the persistence of symptoms such as fatigue, fever, cough and difficulty concentrating that last for at least three months postinfection. A study published in 2022 in Nature Medicine found that people who got COVID-19 at least twice were more than three times as likely to [develop short-term and long-term health effects](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-022-02051-3 "repeat infection and health effects"), including lung and heart issues, and over 1.5 times as likely to have a neurological disorder, including brain fog and strokes, compared to those who were infected once. “While we know that vaccines are protective from most complications from COVID, especially the very severe ones, it’s not quite perfect when it comes to long COVID,” Sala says. “We have some data that suggest that the higher number of infections puts you at greater risk of having long COVID at some point. But even that isn’t always consistent.” ### How to avoid reinfection You might think COVID-19 takes a break in the summer — like many other common respiratory viruses — but that’s not true. Unlike the flu, which comes on strong in the winter and disappears during the summer, COVID never leaves, Schaffner says. Although the usual tendency is to spend more time outdoors during summer months, which reduces the risk of infection, [record-breaking temperatures](https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/extreme-heat/ "extreme heat") mean people are finding relief indoors. “That provides opportunities for these COVID variants to spread because they’re very contagious,” Schaffner says. “The variants tend to produce milder disease, but high-risk groups are more likely to develop serious disease even if they get infected with these omicron variants.” What to do? The usual: Stay up to date with vaccines, use common sense precautions like masking up when you’re in crowded spaces, test as soon as possible if you experience symptoms, and [use antiviral medications](https://www.aarp.org/health/drugs-supplements/are-paxlovid-covid-treatments-still-free/ "are covid treatments still free") like Paxlovid if you do test positive, since controlling the virus as quickly as possible can help reduce any long-term or lingering effects. These measures are especially important for people 50-plus and those with medical conditions like heart disease, obesity, diabetes or [chronic lung disease](https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/copd-and-other-lung-disease-warning-signs/ "lung disease"), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. “What we have to remember is that COVID has not gone away; it’s still with us,” Schaffner says. “Older people who get infected are more apt to get severe COVID, and there is a tendency for long COVID to develop more frequently after severe disease — all the more reason for us to be prudent when we know COVID is out there circulating.” Kimberly Goad is a New York-based journalist who has covered health for some of the nation’s top consumer publications. Her work has appeared in Women’s Health, Prevention, Health and Reader's Digest.
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