SARS CoV-2 Re infection after natural infection compared with previously sero-negative: Descriptive longitudinal study

ABSTRACT

Background: WHO declared SARS-CoV-2 infection as pandemic on March 11, 2020. As cases recovered, it became important to know the rate of re-infection from the same virus and its severity. Therefore, the study was done to find out re-infection rate among the previously infected individuals. Aim: To find out re-infection rate among already exposed and nonexposed individuals. Materials and Methods: A cohort study was done over 5000 previously serosurveyed individual. They were followed up via telephone. Data was collected using a questionnaire with questions regarding infection post-serosurvey, severity of infection among relatives and vaccination status. Thus information collected was uploaded in Google form. Results: Re-infection rate among previously exposed individuals was 1.2%;at the same time period, 6% of nonexposed individuals got infected. All the re-infection cases were mild, whereas 80.74% of individuals who got infected for the first time had mild symptoms. Exposure to SARS-CoV-2 in relatives who were staying with participants was found to be 3.23% and 4.22% among previously exposed and non-exposed individuals respectively. 17% of previously nonexposed individuals were fully vaccinated, whereas 0.65% of exposed individual got fully vaccinated. Conclusion: Re-infection rate in the study was less and mild on the basis of severity. Infection rate among the nonexposed was at a higher side stating that chances of getting re-infected are much lesser. Previously exposed individuals did not show the same type of interest for vaccination compared to previously nonexposed individuals. © 2022 International Journal of Nutrition, Pharmacology, Neurological Diseases ;Published by Wolters Kluwer - Medknow.