Reinfections from SARS-CoV-2: A Retrospective Study from the Gyncentrum Genetic Laboratory in Sosnowiec, Poland, April 2020 to July 2022

Abstract

Background:The increasing number of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) reinfections has opened a new research direction related to analyzing long-term immune response and accurately characterizing individual cases of reinfection to understand its mechanism and estimate the risk of widespread reinfection both locally and globally. This retrospective study from the Gyncentrum Genetic Laboratory in Sosnowiec, Poland aimed to evaluate reinfections from SARS-CoV-2 between April 2020 and July 2022. Material/Methods:The study extended the previously published report on SARS-CoV-2 infection cases in Poland by analyzing 8041 reinfections diagnosed with real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay. Data were collected on the amount of time elapsed from the first infection to the next and, based on these data, all results were divided into several groups for statistical analysis: 0-44, 45-90, 91-200, 201-310, 311-420, and >420 (days). Results:The study showed that of the 8041 patients who experienced reinfection, the vast majority (5505) became reinfected more than 310 days after the original infection, even though the average time between infections was 354.3 days. Statistical analysis revealed that the risk of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection increases with time and that this relationship becomes statistically significant after the 200 th day following the initial infection (p<0.01). Conclusions:We have shown that acquired immunity to SARS-CoV-2 infection is relatively short-lived -it starts diminishing about 6 months after the initial positive test. Moreover, the risk of reinfection is very high more than 1 year after the initial infection.

Pre-Pandemic Predictivity of Anxious-Depressive Symptoms in Post-Surgical Traumatic Distress in Hysterectomy for Benign Disease and COVID-19 Outbreak: A Case-Control Study

“…This is a prospective observational cohort study that involves a comparison of two distinct populations. The sample size was estimated based on previous studies on PTSD following non-gynecologic surgery [ 10 ]. The first group consisted of 100 subjects who were recruited consecutively before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, from April 2021 to September 2021, while the second group included 39 subjects who were recruited after the pandemic began, from January to May 2019 ( Figure 1 ).…”

“…Notably, in the literature, the most commonly described psychological conditions during this period among the general population include negative emotions, such as sadness and loneliness, anxiety, depressive symptoms, post-traumatic stress symptoms [ 9 ], irritability, panic attacks, phobic symptoms, insomnia, fits of anger, and emotional exhaustion [ 8 ]. In many cases, patients who had already contracted the SARS-CoV-2 infection also experienced an intense fear of reinfection [ 10 ] with consequent avoidance of places of treatment and social situations. Referring to infected people, Deng and colleagues highlighted that 45% of COVID-19 patients experienced depression, 47% of patients experienced anxiety, and 34% of patients experienced sleep disturbances [ 8 ].…”