https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8217-1767
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ABSTRACT
Background
Durability of immune response by the COVID-19 natural infection and the necessity of vaccines in recovered patients are important inquiries for the healthcare provider.
Research Design and Methods
Here, we investigated the characteristics and the rate of cases with reinfection that have been admitted to our tertiary hospital.
Results
A total of 119985 patients were applied between March 2020 and May 2021. Of these patients, 32607 (27%, 32,607/119985) tested positive. A total of 27 (0.08%, 27/32607) patients were found to be reinfected beyond 90 days. Only one of these reinfected patients (0.003, 1/32607) had novel COVID-19 pneumonia and was hospitalized for the second time. Other 26 reinfected patients were followed up as outpatients.
Conclusions
COVID-19 reinfection is extremely rare. However, the reinfection may be severe in patients with immune deficiency. Healthcare providers may prioritize uninfected and immune-compromised patients for vaccination.
Declaration of Interests
The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.
Reviewer disclosures
Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.
Ethical statement
Ethical approval was obtained from the local Ethics Committee of Istanbul Medeniyet University (#2021/0406). The ethics committee approved of patient consent waiver.
Author contributions
F Arslan, conceptualizing, investigating and writing; H Vahaboglu, supervising and editing; B Baysal & B Isik Goren, data collection.