Primary Infection and Reinfection COVID-19 from October 2023 to October 2024 in a General Medicine Office in Toledo, Spain
Keywords:
COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Reinfection, COVID-19 vaccines, Epidemiological characteristic, Secondary analysis, General practiceAbstract
Background: The clinical-epidemiological differences between primary infections vs. reinfections of COVID-19 are not known.
Objective: Compare primary infections vs. reinfections of COVID-19 from October 1, 2023 to October 1, 2024.
Methods: An observational, longitudinal and prospective case series study of adult patients with COVID-19 infections in general medicine from October 1, 2023 to October 1, 2024. Descriptive epidemiological analysis considered a set of selected demographic and clinical features.
Results: 39 primary COVID-19 infections and 15 COVID-19 reinfections from October 2023 to October 2024 were included. The reinfections compared to the primary infections were younger patients, more women, less severe, in more complex families, with more cases in ethnic minority people, more general symptoms, less otorhinolaryngological, more chronic nervous and senses and musculoskeletal diseases and with fewer vaccinated with 4th and 5th dose. However, no statistically significant differences were found in any of these variables, except for the higher frequency of reinfections in socio-health care workers (5% in primary infections vs. 27% in reinfections; Fisher exact test statistic=0.0439).
Conclusion: In the context of a general medicine consultation in Toledo (Spain) from October 2023 to October 2024 (omicron variant was dominant), reinfections vs. primary infections were significantly more frequent in socio-health care workers. There are probably no clinical-epidemiological differences between cases of reinfection and primary infection. It is suggested that interventions and vaccines against COVID-19 should focus on healthcare workers. Although our results should be taken with caution due to the small number of COVID-19 cases included.
