VOA健康报道2022--研究发现,重复感染COVID比第一次感染风险更大

Study: Repeat COVID Infection Is Riskier¹ than First

A new study has found that the risk of death, hospitalization and serious health issues from COVID-19 increases with reinfection regardless of vaccination².

The study examined U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs data collected from March 1, 2020 through April 6, 2022. It included information on 443,588 patients with one SARS-CoV-2 infection, 40,947 with two or more infections, and 5.3 million who were not infected. Most of the study subjects were male.

"Reinfection with COVID-19 increases the risk of both acute outcomes and long COVID," said Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He added that this was clear "in unvaccinated, vaccinated³ and boosted people."

Reinfected patients had a doubled risk of death and a tripled risk of hospitalization compared with individuals infected only once. The patients also had increased risks for a number of other health problems, the study, reported in Nature Medicine, found. The problems affected⁴ the lungs, heart, blood, kidneys, bones and muscles. Reinfection also increased the risk of mental health, brain and nerve disorders⁵.

"Even if one had prior infection and was vaccinated - meaning they had double immunity⁶ from prior infection plus vaccines⁷ - they are still susceptible⁸ to adverse⁹ outcomes upon reinfection," said Al-Aly. He was the lead writer of the study.

Susceptible means easily affected or harmed by something.

People with repeat infections were three times more likely to develop lung problems, three times more likely to suffer heart conditions and 60 percent more likely to have brain or nerve disorders, the study found. The risks were highest in the first month after reinfection but were still clear six months later.

The total risks of repeat infection increased with the number of infections, even after examining differences in COVID-19 variants¹⁰ such as Delta¹¹, Omicron and BA.5, the researchers said.

"We had started seeing a lot of patients coming to the clinic with an air of invincibility¹²," Al-Aly told Reuters. "They wondered, 'Does getting a reinfection really matter?' The answer is yes, it absolutely does."

He added that ahead of a season that often involves travel and indoor gatherings¹³, people should be aware that reinfection is serious and should take steps to avoid getting infected.

Al-Aly explained that researchers are not suggesting serious measures, "but maybe if you're going on a plane, wear a mask." Or, if a person is in a food store, "consider that the person near you may have a weak immune system, and if you wear a mask you might help to protect them," he said.

Words in This Story

acute – adj. very serious or dangerous : requiring serious attention or action

prior – adj. existing or happening before the present time

adverse – adj. bad or unfavorable : not good

invincibility – n. impossible to defeat or overcome

immune – adj. relating to the way your body fights disease

1 riskier   

冒险的，危险的( risky的比较级 )

参考例句：

• Now they are starting to demand higher returns on riskier assets. 而今他们开始在风险更高的资产上要求更高的回报。
• The problem with that: RIM's business is getting riskier every quarter. 不过问题也随之而来：RIM面临的业务风险正逐季增大。

2 vaccination   

n.接种疫苗，种痘

参考例句：

• Vaccination is a preventive against smallpox.种痘是预防天花的方法。
• Doctors suggest getting a tetanus vaccination every ten years.医生建议每十年注射一次破伤风疫苗。

3 vaccinated   

[医]已接种的，种痘的，接种过疫菌的

参考例句：

• I was vaccinated against tetanus. 我接种了破伤风疫苗。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child? 你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？

4 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

5 disorders   

n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 )；凌乱；骚乱；（身心、机能）失调

参考例句：

• Reports of anorexia and other eating disorders are on the increase. 据报告，厌食症和其他饮食方面的功能紊乱发生率正在不断增长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The announcement led to violent civil disorders. 这项宣布引起剧烈的骚乱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 immunity   

n.优惠；免除；豁免，豁免权

参考例句：

• The law gives public schools immunity from taxation.法律免除公立学校的纳税义务。
• He claims diplomatic immunity to avoid being arrested.他要求外交豁免以便避免被捕。

7 vaccines   

疫苗，痘苗( vaccine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His team are at the forefront of scientific research into vaccines. 他的小组处于疫苗科研的最前沿。
• The vaccines were kept cool in refrigerators. 疫苗放在冰箱中冷藏。

8 susceptible   

adj.过敏的，敏感的；易动感情的，易受感动的

参考例句：

• Children are more susceptible than adults.孩子比成人易受感动。
• We are all susceptible to advertising.我们都易受广告的影响。

9 adverse   

adj.不利的；有害的；敌对的，不友好的

参考例句：

• He is adverse to going abroad.他反对出国。
• The improper use of medicine could lead to severe adverse reactions.用药不当会产生严重的不良反应。

10 variants   

n.变体( variant的名词复数 )；变种；变型；（词等的）变体

参考例句：

• Those variants will be preserved in the'struggle for existence". 这些变异将在“生存竞争”中被保留下来。 来自辞典例句
• Like organisms, viruses have variants, generally called strains. 与其他生物一样，病毒也有变种，一般称之为株系。 来自辞典例句

11 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

12 invincibility   

n.无敌，绝对不败

参考例句：

• The myth of his and Nazi invincibility had been completely destroyed. 过去他本人之神奇传说，以及纳粹之不败言论，至此乃完全破灭。 来自辞典例句
• Our image of invincibility evaporated. 我们战无不胜的形象化为泡影了。 来自辞典例句

13 gatherings   

聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集

参考例句：

• His conduct at social gatherings created a lot of comment. 他在社交聚会上的表现引起许多闲话。
• During one of these gatherings a pupil caught stealing. 有一次，其中一名弟子偷窃被抓住。