Can repeated infections with the new coronavirus destroy the immune system? Listen to what experts say

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Recently, more and more people with new coronavirus infections are gradually recovering. How soon can they return to work after recovery, how should they disinfect their homes, will they become infected twice, will multiple infections knock out the immune system, and how will the virus change in the future? These questions have raised concerns and discussions.

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On December 22, the reporter connected with Wen Daning, director of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, to answer questions.

The following is the conversation between the reporter and Wen Daning.

The virus will not disappear, the new crown may evolve into a seasonal flu

Reporter: After three years of changes, what is the difference between the current virus and the previous one? Is there an iterative relationship between the Alpha, Delta and Omicron strains?

Tannin Wen: The original strain is highly virulent, with more severe cases, higher mortality and relatively more residual sequelae. The evolving nature of the virus and global prevention and control factors have led to the continuous emergence of new mutant strains of the new coronavirus. The overall trend of change in the mutant strains we are concerned about, such as Alpha, Delta, and Omicron, is increasingly rapid transmission, progressively stronger immune escape, and weaker virulence, but we cannot exclude that individual mutations can still lead to severe disease. There is an iterative evolutionary process for viruses to survive, but each mutation process is not necessarily a complete iteration.

Reporter: What are the characteristics of the virus at this stage? In which direction will viral strains change in the future?

Wen Danning: At present, the dominant strain in the world, including the domestic epidemic, is still Omicron, and the main epidemic strain in Beijing and Wuhan is Omicron variant BF.7, which has a stronger escape ability and can still be infected after vaccination. bf.7 also has more clinical manifestations: fever, pain, dry throat, cough, nasal congestion, runny nose, insomnia, etc., but most of them are still mild, and severe and critical illnesses are rare. The direction of future strain change is not yet certain, but the virus mutates and evolves to survive better in nature, and increased transmissibility and immune escape are the general direction of change.

Reporter: The prevalent strains in China at this stage are mainly BA.5.2 and BF.7, but now there are dominant strains such as BQ.1 and XBB in some countries, will the latter two strains become the prevalent strains in China in the future?

Wen Danning: The prevalence of the dominant strains is determined by many factors, with the deepening of our global communication, BQ.1 and XBB may still become the prevalent strains in the domestic local area. It is more important to do a good job of psychological construction, to develop good hygiene habits and a healthy lifestyle, and to face it openly.

Reporter: When people have antibodies in general, will the new crown virus eventually disappear?

Wen Danning: It seems that the new coronavirus will not disappear, and the antibodies in the human body will gradually decrease metabolically, so we need to give booster shots.

Reporter: For some people, it has been a long time since the full immunization was completed, is it still useful to have booster immunization now? Will there be vaccines developed for new strains in the future?

Wen Danning: Vaccination is to produce protective antibodies, which will gradually decrease, and basically after 6 months the protection is very weak, so a booster vaccination is needed, either by injection or by inhalation vaccine. The body’s immune system has a recall response, and the antibodies will rise quickly after a previous vaccination, which produced antibodies, and a booster vaccination. For people who have already been infected with the new coronavirus, the elderly can be vaccinated after 3 months of infection and the young after 6 months of infection. New vaccines and therapeutic drugs have been the direction of research in the global healthcare system and are always in progress.

Reporter: Will the new crown evolve into a seasonal flu-like disease in the future? How should we respond?

Wen Danning: There is a possibility that it will evolve into seasonal influenza, with year-round circulation and possible outbreaks in winter and spring. The ways to control respiratory infections include vaccines, effective medications and good hygiene practices.

May repeat infection with different mutant strains, but will not destroy the immune system

Reporter: Will there be secondary infections after recovery? How infectious are secondary infections?

Dennis Wen: Repeated infections can theoretically occur with different mutant strains, just as repeated infections can occur with common influenza, not just secondary infections. In short-term secondary infections, the symptoms may be mild and less contagious because the antibodies produced by the last infection can still exert an antiviral effect, but the symptoms and contagiousness of long-term repeat infections are related to the strain of the virus at the time.

Reporter: During the recovery period after infection, will it be easier to get infected if we encounter influenza?

Wen Danning: The body’s immunity is still low during the recovery period, and it is easier to get infected with other respiratory viruses at this time, so it is still important to wear a good mask.

Reporter: How can we strengthen our immune system?

Wen Daning: Oral medication is not recommended. The enhancement of immunity lies in maintaining good habits, including good hygiene, a reasonable and balanced diet, moderate exercise, quitting bad habits (staying up late, smoking, drinking, etc.), and a positive and healthy mindset.

Reporter: Are there any sequelae of New Guan?

Wen Danning: The more severe the acute phase of the new crown virus infection, the more likely there are sequelae. From the analysis of the data of the seriously ill patients of New Guan in 2020, the chance of sequelae is related to age and gender, etc.: older follow-ups are more likely to have respiratory diseases, and women are more likely to have anxiety, insomnia, etc. Medical sequelae refer to conditions that occur after the condition has been stable for at least six months, and symptoms that occur during the week or two of recovery cannot be judged as sequelae.

Reporter: On December 17, at the 2022 China-US High-end Forum on Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Professor Zhang Wenhong, director of the Infection Department of Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, and other experts believed that there are now multiple subtype strains of Omicron virus, and that it is possible to infect one subtype and then infect another subtype. How to understand this judgment?

Wen Daning: In the future, we have to face the new crown as we face the flu. But there is no need to be anxious. Repeated infections do not affect one’s immune function; the new coronavirus mainly affects the respiratory tract, and there is no case where the immune function is destroyed after multiple infections.
You don’t need to throw away your daily necessities after recovery, you can resume exercise according to your habits

Reporter: How long after recovery can I go out and return to work?

Wen Danning: When the symptoms improve for more than three days and the nucleic acid or antigen turns negative, you can go out and return to work, that is, from the 7th to the 10th day after the onset of the disease, when the infection is also less contagious. The most contagious new coronavirus is at the end of incubation and within 5 days after the onset of the disease.

Reporter: Can I exercise after recovery? Can I take a shower?

Wen Danning: You should follow your own exercise habits gradually, in order not to overexert yourself. During the illness and recovery period, because of fever and sweating, to ensure that the skin is clean, according to custom, but pay attention to physical strength, sometimes just after the fever, people are weak, in a high-temperature environment bath is not good. After bathing, you should dry in time and do not get cold.

Reporter: How to disinfect the home after recovery?

Wen Danning: After the family members recovered, there is no recurring infection, there is no need to disinfect the home environment, and there is no need to throw away household items, opening windows and ventilation can effectively reduce the presence of viruses, ordinary washing and drying can also play a disinfection role. Some unventilated, humid and dark environments may have viruses hidden in them, such as door handles and toilets, which can be wiped with alcohol wipes. The refrigerator may also carry viruses, but the food processing process can completely kill the virus. If you want to do a thorough disinfection, turn off the power to the refrigerator, open, ventilation, take disinfectant wipes to wipe the surface.

Reporter: How to do protection when the Spring Festival is approaching?

Wen Danning: First of all, you must not return home with a disease, not only may spread the virus, road exertion will also aggravate their own condition. To return home to choose the right transport, wear a good mask throughout the whole process, long time use also need to be replaced in a timely manner, drinking and dining as far as possible and neighboring people staggered, after returning home to do a good health monitoring, to crowded places to wear a good mask, during the New Year to avoid strain, excessive drinking.