Repeat COVID-19 infections increase risk of organ failure, death

A new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the Veterans Affairs St. Louis Health Care system shows the health consequences of COVID-19 reinfection. The researchers found that repeat SARS-CoV-2 infections contribute significant additional risk of adverse health conditions in multiple organ systems.

Such outcomes include hospitalization; disorders affecting the lungs, heart, brain, and the body’s blood, musculoskeletal and gastrointestinal systems; and even death. Reinfection also contributes to diabetes, kidney disease and mental health issues.

The findings are published Nov. 10 in Nature Medicine.

Additionally, the study indicated that the risk seems to increase with each infection.

For this study, the researchers analyzed about 5.8 million de-identified medical records in a database maintained by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the nation’s largest integrated healthcare system. Patients represented multiple ages, races and sexes.

The researchers created a controlled data set of 5.3 million people who did not test positive for COVID-19 infection from March 1, 2020, through April 6, 2022. Using the same time frame, the researchers also compiled a control group of more than 443,000 people who had tested positive for one COVID-19 infection, and another group of nearly 41,000 people who had two or more documented infections. Of the latter group, most people had two or three infections, with a small number having had four infections and no one with five or more infections.

Statistical modeling was used to examine the health risks of repeat COVID-19 infections within the first 30 days after contracting the virus and up to six months after.

The study accounted for COVID-19 variants such as Delta, Omicron and BA.5. Negative outcomes occurred among the unvaccinated as well as those who had received shots prior to reinfection.

Overall, the researchers found that people with COVID-19 reinfections were twice as likely to die and three times more likely to be hospitalized than those with no reinfection.

Additionally, people with repeat infections were 3½ times more likely to develop lung problems, three times more likely to suffer heart conditions and 1.6 times more likely to experience brain conditions than patients who had been infected with the virus once.

Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis release