People who have survived an infection with the coronavirus in the recent past – even despite vaccinations – may feel (more) safe for some time. That is now the result of a large meta-analysis of 65 studies from 19 countries by American experts.
According to this, a Covid 19 disease survived for at least ten months protects up to 90 percent against a serious or fatal disease. In the evaluation of the studies on immunity against re-infection or symptomatic and severe disease after SARS-CoV-2 infection, all virus variants that emerged internationally (Wuhan, Alpha, Beta, Delta and Omicron BA.1) were considered as of September 30 of the previous year.
In general, there was a fairly uniform picture with regard to the protective effect against a new infection. “The effectiveness against re-infection by the Omikron BA.1 variant (after the first infection; note) was 45.3 percent and against symptomatic Omikron BA.1 disease 44 percent,” the experts wrote.
Protection against serious and fatal courses
According to a team led by Stephen Lim of the University of Washington in Seattle in The Lancet magazine.
The passage of time is also interesting. When infected with a pre-omega variant, the protection rate against reinfection with the wild-type (Wuhan) and against the alpha and delta variants was 85.2 percent after one month, 78.6 percent after 40 weeks, and 78.6 percent thereafter. 20 weeks months still at 55.5 percent.
With Omikron BA.1, the protection wears off faster
In contrast, the protection against a new infection with Omikron BA.1 declined much faster and was only 36.1 percent after ten months. The protection against symptomatic disease achieved by infection with a pre-omega variant was in line with the estimates for reinfection, as the German medical journal also reported on the study: it protected against symptomatic disease caused by the wild type and the alpha and delta variants 78 .4 percent after ten months. On the other hand, they prevented only 37.7 percent of symptomatic disease caused by Omicron BA.1.
Protection against serious and fatal courses
However, the protective effect against serious and fatal illnesses caused by the pathogen Covid-19 seems to be particularly important. After ten months, a first infection with the Omicron virus variants (Wuhan, Alpha, Delta) protected 90.2 percent against serious or even fatal further illness.
Researchers: Vaccination is the most effective form of protection
After 40 weeks, an Omicron BA.1 infection still showed an 88.9 percent protection rate against another infection with a serious to fatal course. “The protection percentage against the BA.1 variant was significantly lower and also declined faster,” the American researchers summarize their results. The safest way to gain effective immunity against the SARS-CoV-2 pathogen – especially protection against serious disease progression – is still vaccination.
Source: Krone
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