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Review
. 2021 Nov 15;11(6):733-739.
doi: 10.1080/20009666.2021.1974665. eCollection 2021.

COVID-19 reinfection: the role of natural immunity, vaccines, and variants

Bao Y Sciscent  1 , Caroline D Eisele  1 , Lisa Ho  1 , Steven D King  1 , Rohit Jain  2 , Reshma R Golamari  2
Affiliations
Review

COVID-19 reinfection: the role of natural immunity, vaccines, and variants

Bao Y Sciscent et al. J Community Hosp Intern Med Perspect. .

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has altered innumerable lives. Although recent mass vaccinations offer a glimmer of hope, the rising death toll and new variants continue to dominate the current scenario. As we begin to understand more about SARS-CoV-2 infections, the territory of reinfections with COVID-19 remains unexplored. In this review, we will discuss several aspects of reinfection: (a) How is COVID-19 reinfection characterized? (b) Does prior literature differentiate between reinfection and reactivation? (c) What SARS-CoV-2 strains do the vaccines target and can they protect against new strains? Larger and longer timeline studies are needed to understand reinfection risks. With the ongoing distribution of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccines to provide protection, the understanding of the possibility for SARS-CoV-2 reinfection remains critical. Abbreviations CDC: Centers for Disease ControlSARS-CoV-2: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2COVID-19: Coronavirus disease 2019RT-PCR: Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain ReactionPASC: Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Keywords: COVID-19; COVID-19 immunity; COVID-19 vaccination; SARS-CoV-2; reinfection.

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Conflict of interest statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Types of Immunity
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Graphical representation of the cycle and timeline of a COVID-19 infection
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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