The elderly who have had COVID-19 once are more prone to reinfection as opposed to the younger lot who are unlikely to be reinfected at least for six months, according to research published in The Lancet.
Large-scale assessment of reinfection rates in Denmark in 2020 confirmed that only a small proportion of people (0.65%) returned a positive PCR test twice. However, while prior infection gave those under the age of 65 years around 80 per cent protection against reinfection, for people aged 65 and older, it gave only 47 per cent protection, indicating that they are more likely to catch COVID-19 again, The Indian Express (TIE) reported.
Their findings highlight the importance of measures to protect elderly people during the pandemic such as enhanced social distancing and prioritisation for vaccines, even for those who have recovered from COVID-19. The analysis also suggests that people who have had the virus should still be vaccinated, as natural protection, particularly among the elderly cannot be relied upon.
