A new study has indicated that adults over 65 have a higher risk of coronavirus reinfection, possibly due to weaker immune systems, although the overall incidence remains scarce by less than 1%.
Findings published in The Lancet on Wednesday showed that more than 525,000 people in Denmark are available for follow-up after two infections; the first taking place in the spring of 2020 and the second from September to December 2020.
ASTRAZENECA COVID-19 JABS MAKES RUN SOME DOCS DISTRIBUTED
Researchers from the Statens Serum Institute in Copenhagen determined the re-infection risk through an analysis of PCR test data from the Danish microbiology database, and excluded about 600 people who tested positive for the first time and more than 7,400 deaths from all causes. The team found that 72 out of 11,068 people who tested positive during the spring period tested positive again, meaning a reinfection rate of 0.65%.
Furthermore, adults over 65 saw a 47% ‘protection against recurrent infection’ compared to almost 80% protection among younger age groups. Researchers found no difference in the risk of re-infection between the sexes and also no diminishing protection after more than seven months of follow-up.
“Our finding that older people were more likely to re-test younger than younger people when they had already tested positive can be explained by natural age-related changes in the immune system of older adults,” the study’s authors write.
Given the findings, researchers stressed the need for vaccination and mitigation measures among older adults.
GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“Our findings may make decisions about which groups to vaccinate and advocate for vaccination of previously infected individuals because natural protection, especially among older people, cannot be relied upon,” they wrote.
Researchers are still confronted with unknowns, such as the duration of antibody-induced natural protection after contracting the virus.