Covid-19 survivors aged 65 and above are more prone to reinfection, according to a study published in the journal Lancet .

Earlier studies have claimed that memory T cells present in the body provide some immunity against the virus, thereby preventing the case of reinfection for up to six months or a year.

For the new study, researchers in Denmark carried out a large-scale assessment of reinfection rates in the country in 2020. They confirmed that only a small proportion of people (0.65 per cent) returned a positive PCR test twice.

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They also noted that those under the age of 65 years have 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 authors of the first large-scale study of its kind detected no evidence that protection against reinfection declined within a six-month follow-up period.

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Their findings stressed the importance of measures to protect elderly people during the pandemic. These include enhanced social distancing and prioritisation for vaccines, even for those who have recovered from coronavirus.

Vaccination protection

The researchers further suggested that people who have had the virus should still be vaccinated, as natural protection — particularly among the elderly.

One of the authors, Dr Steen Ethelberg, from the Statens Serum Institut, Denmark, said in a statement: “Our study confirms what a number of others appeared to suggest: reinfection with Covid-19 is rare in younger, healthy people, but the elderly are at greater risk of catching it again.”

He added: “Since older people are also more likely to experience severe disease symptoms, and sadly die, our findings make clear how important it is to implement policies to protect the elderly during the pandemic.”

“Given what is at stake, the results emphasise how important it is that people adhere to measures implemented to keep themselves and others safe, even if they have already had Covid-19. Our insights could also inform policies focused on wider vaccination strategies and the easing of lockdown restrictions,” Ethelberg further noted in the study.

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