Covid-19 reinfections are rare unless you are over 65

Covid-19 reinfections are rare unless you are over 65

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The study, which looked at reinfection rates among 4 million people in Denmark, found that most people who had Covid-19 had protection against reinfection for more than six months. In a six-month follow-up, the study found no evidence that protection was declining. An inspection of the demographics of those who become infected again showed that it was mostly people aged 65 and older, reports Jen Christensen.

The older age group had only about 47% protection against recurrent infection, compared to younger people who apparently had about 80% protection against re-infection, the team wrote. The finding is not entirely unexpected, as immune systems weaken as people get older.

“Given what is at stake here, the results highlight how important it is for people to adhere to measures implemented to keep themselves and others safe, even if they have already had COVID-19,” said co-author Dr. Steen Ethelberg, of the Statens Serum studied. Institute in Denmark said in a statement.

In some parts of the US, this advice is not heeded, where governors lift measures to prevent its spread. Although nearly 1 in eight Americans has been fully vaccinated, the country is possibly on the verge of a second upsurge, after the number of cases that have declined over the past few weeks has leveled off.

Chicago officials increased capacity for pubs, restaurants and other businesses earlier this month, while Baltimore leaders said yesterday that they were easing restrictions on places, including religious facilities, shops, malls and fitness centers.

Richard Besser, the former acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), told CNN on Wednesday. “At the same time, we are fighting the exhaustion of people with the restrictions imposed by public health, and we are fighting the step by so many governors to remove the restrictions that keep us all safe.”

YOU ASKED. WE ANSWER.

Q: I have a high BMI and qualify for the vaccine. Does that mean I’m unhealthy?

A: Since obesity is a factor in eligibility for the Covid-19 vaccine, many Americans are trying to figure out their body mass index or BMI. But experts believe that the meaning behind the numbers – and how to reduce them – is not always so clear.

The CDC lists obesity as an underlying medical condition, and defines it as someone with a body mass index of between 30 and 40.

Having a BMI over 30 can lead to serious health problems such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and obesity increases the risk of Covid-19 reacting more severely.

Having a high BMI does not necessarily mean that you are unhealthy. There are rare cases where a healthy person can have a seemingly unhealthy BMI. These include weight trainers and people with athletic structures who have a lot of muscle, which creates a high BMI number, says dr. Caroline Apovian, co-director of the Center for Weight Management and Wellness at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. .

If you are not sure if your high BMI number is due to fat or muscle, Apovian recommends that you visit a weight loss specialist to have more specific tests done.

Send your questions here. Are you a health worker fighting Covid-19? Send us a message on WhatsApp about the challenges you face: +1 347-322-0415.

WHAT IS IMPORTANT TODAY

A Chinese woman in Guangzhou with her baby in 2016.

Covid-19 expelled hundreds of Africans from Guangzhou. A generation of mixed children is their legacy

At the beginning of the 21st century, the Chinese city of Guangzhou, already a magnet for internal migrants, became a casual experiment in multiculturalism in China, as loose immigration rules and factories producing cheap products made large numbers of African entrepreneurs attracted. The business was booming, and by 2012, as many as 100,000 sub-Saharan Africans had flocked to the city, which was the largest foreign-owned community in Asia, reports Jenni Marsh.

But the pandemic drove hundreds of Africans out of the city, unleashed the most serious anti-black racial clashes in China in decades, and rebuilt business operations, with Chinese factories connecting directly with African customers via e-commerce platforms. Those who remain are rooted there because of their Chinese partners and children.

EU continues to attack AstraZeneca as it reveals vaccine passports

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has accused AstraZeneca of alleged underproduction and underdelivery, partly blaming the slow explosion of vaccines in Europe.

It comes as the EU’s drug regulator prepares to provide guidance on vaccine safety after many countries suspended their deployment following reports of blood clots. The regulator has already said there is no evidence of a link between the AstraZeneca shots and lumps.

Von der Leyen emphasized that she trusted the Oxford / AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, but warned that an export ban imposed by the EU during the recent row with the drug company could be used if he believes other countries do not have sufficient vaccines. do not export.

The EU has also announced its proposal for a “Digital Green Certificate”, or vaccine passport, to enable safe and free movement within the block during the pandemic. The certificate confirming that someone has been vaccinated against Covid-19, received a negative test result or recovered from Covid-19 can be used in all 27 Member States.

Tanzania’s president, who undermines his country’s Covid-19 response, has died

After rejecting the seriousness of Covid-19, Tanzania’s President John Magufuli dies of a heart condition at a hospital in Dar es Salaam. At the outset of the pandemic, Magufuli urged citizens to ‘pray away coronavirus’, saying that the ‘satanic virus can not live in the body of Jesus Christ’, blaming the growing number of positive cases for erroneous tests. .

In June, he claims that his country eradicated the coronavirus ‘by the grace of God’, questioned the safety of foreign Covid-19 vaccines and made no plan to obtain shots for his country, but rather the use of herbal remedies. and steam treatments. . Tanzania has not reported any Covid-19 figures since April 2020, prompting the World Health Organization to ask the East African country to publish data and step up public health measures.

ON OUR RADAR

  • Violence against Asian Americans has increased in the US, and it has coincided with the Covid-19 pandemic. San Francisco police are now increasing patrols following recent assaults.
  • Former Brazilian leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva urged US President Joe Biden to convene an emergency summit on the coronavirus as the country’s daily death toll in Covid-19 reached a new record.
  • Florida director Ron DeSantis’s laissez-faire approach to the pandemic appears to be bearing fruit.
  • U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona on Wednesday predicted optimism that the fall would bring a school year that ‘looks more like it was before Covid’, but stressed that he is still focusing on resuming this spring.

TODAY’S PODCAST

‘As if you were stepping [the] scale was not emotionally charged enough, I had to do it in a waiting room full of people. ‘- Madeleine Thompson, co-producer of CNN Audio

Many states make people with a certain BMI eligible for vaccinations. But because weight has such a stigma, it’s not as easy as it sounds to get to an appointment. Sanjay Gupta, CNN’s chief medical correspondent, heard from an associate about her personal experience of being vaccinated and navigating the complex relationship between weight and health. Listen now.

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