Unvaccinated? You can expect to get infected with COVID-19 as often

Unvaccinated people are obviously more likely to get COVID-19. But when it comes to a timeline, this wasn’t clear until recently. A new study provides a more specific answer, claiming that unvaccinated people can expect COVID-19 every 16 months.

Vaccines protect people from the COVID-19 virus and not only drastically reduce the chance of infection, but also the death rate. While you may break through COVID-19, it is very unlikely that you will die from it unless there are other forces at work.

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The study, conducted by the Yale School of Public Health and published in The Lancet Microbe, analyzed the available data on natural immunity so researchers can accurately calculate a schedule for COVID-19 infections and infections.

“The overarching goal of the study was to provide an answer to a question that at this point in the pandemic cannot be answered empirically, such as how long you can expect to be in possession after being infected with SARS-CoV-2. “Immunity to the virus before you become susceptible to re-infection?” Study co-author Hayley Hassler told the Yale Daily News.

The study reiterated some of the findings we were already familiar with while painting a clearer picture of COVID-19 reinfections. Researchers predicted that unvaccinated people were 5% more likely to get infected with COVID-19 again within three months. Within 16 months this number jumps to 50%. Hassler states that these numbers can change from person to person. “Each of these individuals may experience a longer or shorter duration of immunity depending on their immune status, cross-immunity, age and several other factors.”

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As a multitude of studies have shown, natural immunity doesn’t last very long, and those who have had COVID-19 infections and complete immunization have a stronger immune response than anyone else. While we still don’t know a lot about COVID-19, it is becoming more and more apparent every day that a one-time infection doesn’t ensure you won’t get it again.