Anyone with extended long Covid get Covid again? Now what?

Posted by ericy210 @ericy210, Dec 18, 2023

I had long Covid since May 2022. Tons of clinical appointments go NIH/Recover programs and Northwestern.
Most issues are memory and cognitive processing. Some heart and lung stuff
I just tested positive yesterday and fortunately was given paxlovid.
Anyone have any links to research? My basic understanding is this reinfection may push my recovery backwards.
I just guessing and would appreciate any science over my speculation

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@colleenyoung

Hi @genogenie, I noticed that you wished to post URLs to articles with your post. You will be able to add URLs to your posts in a few days. There is a brief period where new members can't post links. We do this to deter spammers and keep the community safe.

Allow me to post them for you:
- New survey suggests reinfection worsens Long COVID (Sept 2022) https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/new-survey-suggests-reinfection-worsens-long-covid
- Acute and postacute sequelae associated with SARS-CoV-2 reinfection (Nov 2022) https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-022-02051-3
- How Bad Is a Second (or Third or Fourth) Case of Covid? (Aug 2023) https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/17/well/live/covid-reinfection.html
- Does the risk of getting long Covid increase each time you get reinfected? (Sept 2023) https://www.statnews.com/2023/09/20/do-long-covid-odds-increase-with-second-infection/

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Colleen, i could not read the NYTimes article due to pay wall.

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Ericy. You mentioned getting reinfected on the Dec 18. I didn’t reinfect with Covid but did get a bad case of croup. Two and a half weeks post my infection the Long Covid symptoms increased dramatically. However the Paxlovid may have help blunt your viral replication. Please let us know around mid January how you are doing. This is a huge fear for all of us

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I got Covid originally in January 20 20, which was the initial point at which I was infected with long Covid. I then was had Covid again in June 20 20. Which did set me back quite a bit to the point it’s like I was starting over. I then got Covid third time in April 2021. Now my long Covid is still going on three years later I have improved and I am about 75% mostly most of the time. Having said that I still have bad days. I have times when I can’t think, can’t speak or make the words come out right, I have days when I can’t see the TV and I still struggle with reading a book which bums me out really badly. I have problems breathing the heart palpitations the sleep issues the weird twitchy things with my muscles just to name a few. But each time I got Covid I regressed. I hope things go better for you

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Since my ENt didn’t prescribe paxlovid for this my third time with the virus and i was not improving , i contacted my PCP’s office. They called in a Paxlovid Rx for me. I am feeling better on Day 3 of Paxlovid- no more chills . I still have a cough, post nasal drip and fatigue. I have beem getting allergy shots and prior to covid reinfection that was improving. While my case has been relatively mild, i am so tired of being sick.

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@carlosmayo

Here is a link to the only study I have seen on this - not peer reviewed but found that for 60% long covid symptoms got worse with a reinfection.

https://www.longcovid.org/images/Documents/Reinfections_in_Long_Covid_Survey_Report_by_Long_Covid_Support_and_Long_Covid_Kids_080922.pdf

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I first got Covid and post Covid in May, lasted just a couple months. Then was reinfected in October, and the second post- Covid is worse, and I’m on my third month with lack of balance (had head injury 10 years ago so just worse balance), neuropathy worse, inner ear/sinus, BRAIN FOG, etc.
So comforting to know I’m not alone in this- no treatment so far but wil research here.

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I learned that Cromolyn Sodium Nasal spray solution USP, only available on Amazon is a great help for the long sinus issues that follow. By Health Guard

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Are there any steps I should take to lower my immediate risk of reinfection. I was in close proximity of someone who tested positive yesterday and very frightened I may have been infected I am taking zinc and vit C and gargling with Betadine

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@belson

Are there any steps I should take to lower my immediate risk of reinfection. I was in close proximity of someone who tested positive yesterday and very frightened I may have been infected I am taking zinc and vit C and gargling with Betadine

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Basically destress, stay hydrated, and get enough sleep and rest. I'm 69 and finally got over long covid in October. Went to happy hour with a friend 2 weeks ago; he tested positive two days later. None of us caught it. His doctor said early stage covid is contagious but has less risk because the viral load is minor compared to full-on covid. The waiting game is hard, and hopefully you have dodged this bullet. If you do get covid it is good to take Paxlovid or other retroviral medicine early in the infection; it acts by suppressing viral growth and gives your immune system time to kick in and wallop the virus.

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@wbblanche

I first got Covid and post Covid in May, lasted just a couple months. Then was reinfected in October, and the second post- Covid is worse, and I’m on my third month with lack of balance (had head injury 10 years ago so just worse balance), neuropathy worse, inner ear/sinus, BRAIN FOG, etc.
So comforting to know I’m not alone in this- no treatment so far but wil research here.

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Maybe one of the proctors will post this in the right forum. Our family has had a significant natural gas leak (not sure how long it’s been leaking). I’m trying to figure out if anyone knows if there is long term damage done to prolonged natural gas exposure. We have 4 small children and I’m worried sick

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@kayabbott

Basically destress, stay hydrated, and get enough sleep and rest. I'm 69 and finally got over long covid in October. Went to happy hour with a friend 2 weeks ago; he tested positive two days later. None of us caught it. His doctor said early stage covid is contagious but has less risk because the viral load is minor compared to full-on covid. The waiting game is hard, and hopefully you have dodged this bullet. If you do get covid it is good to take Paxlovid or other retroviral medicine early in the infection; it acts by suppressing viral growth and gives your immune system time to kick in and wallop the virus.

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Thank you. I started famotidine to perhaps help reduce the histamine release however no evidence for this. I will definitely take Paxlovid but I am hoping that I can receive a10 day course rather than the typical 5 day course of therapy. It makes sense for people with LC to keep the viral load down for the length of the virus. This would be a great study for the LC team to consider. Since they are currently trialing 15 days for treatment of LC and not for active disease, it is safe. Has anyone taken 2 courses or 10 days of Paxlovid?

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