March 2020. Last December.  Again this May.
“I am upset to know that I can be infected forever,” said the 31-year-old singer, who is vaccinated and refreshed.  “I do not want to get sick every month or every two months.”
However, experts warn that recurrent infections become more likely as the pandemic persists and the virus progresses – and some people are certain to be hit more than twice.  Emerging research suggests it could put them at a higher risk for health problems.
There are no complete data on people affected by COVID-19 more than twice, although some states collect information on re-infections in general.  New York, for example, reports about 277,000 re-infections out of a total of 5.8 million infections during the pandemic.  Experts say the actual numbers are much higher because so many home COVID-19 tests are not reported.
Several public figures have recently been re-infected.  U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said they were suffering from COVID-19 for the second time, and Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker said he was positive for the third time.  Everyone said they had been fully vaccinated and Trinto and Besera said they had received booster vaccines.
“Until recently, it was almost unheard of, but now it is becoming more common to have COVID-19 two, three or even four times,” said Dr. Eric Topol, head of the Scripps Research Translational Institute.  “If we do not find better defenses, we will see much more than that.”
Why;  Immunity from previous infections and vaccinations decreases over time, experts say, leaving people vulnerable.
The virus has also evolved to be more contagious.  The risk of re-infection was about seven times higher with Omicron variants than when the delta was more common, according to a UK study.  Scientists believe that the micron mutants that now make up the vast majority of cases in the United States are particularly capable of overcoming immunity from vaccination or previous infection, especially infection during the initial micron wave.  U.S. health officials are considering whether to modify the amplifiers to better suit recent coronavirus changes.
The first time Mancini was infected by COVID-19, she and her fiancé developed a fever and had been ill for two weeks.  He could not be tested at the time and took an antibody test a few months later which showed he was infected.
“It was really scary because it was so young and we just knew people were dying from it,” Mancini said.  “We were really sick.  “I had not been ill like that for a long time.”
She was vaccinated with Pfizer in the spring of 2021 and believed she was protected from another infection, especially because she had been ill in the past.  However, while such “hybrid immunity” can offer strong protection, it does not guarantee that one will not re-attach COVID-19.
Mancini’s second fight, which took place during the huge micron wave, started with a sore throat.  At first she came out negative, but she felt sick leading to a concert four hours away.  So she got into a Walgreens and did a quick test on her car.  It was positive, he said, “so I just turned the car around and drove back to Manhattan.”
This fight turned out to be milder, with “the worst sore throat of my life”, a stuffy nose, sneezing and coughing.
The most recent illness was even milder, causing pressure on the sinuses, fog in the brain, a feeling of sadness and fatigue.  She, positive at home test and confirmed by PCR test, struck despite her Moderna shot.
Mancini has no known health condition that could put her at risk for COVID.  Takes precautions for COVID-19, such as a grocery store and subway mask.  But he usually does not wear a mask on stage.
“I’m a singer and I’m in these crowded bars and I’m in these little clubs, some of which are not very ventilated, and I’m close to a lot of people,” Mancini said.  , who also plays the accordion and percussion.  “This is the price I paid to do a lot in recent years.  That’s how I make a living. “
Scientists do not know exactly why some people become re-infected and others do not, but they believe that many things can play a role: health and biology, exposure to specific variants, how much virus is spreading in a community, vaccination status and behavior.  British researchers have found that people were more likely to become infected again if they were unvaccinated, younger or had a mild infection the first time.
Scientists are also unsure how soon one can become infected after a previous period.  And there is no guarantee that any infection will be milder than the previous one.
“I have seen it go in both directions,” said Dr.  Wesley, physician at Houston Methodist.  In general, however, unprecedented infections that occur after vaccination tend to be milder, he said.
Doctors have said that vaccination and boosting are the best protection against severe COVID-19 and death, and there is some evidence that it also reduces the chances of re-infection.
At this point, there have not been enough documented cases of multiple infections “to really know what the long-term consequences are,” said Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the Baylor University School of Tropical Medicine.
But a large, new study using data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which has not yet been reviewed by scientific colleagues, provides some information, finding that re-infection increases the risk of serious outcomes and health problems, such as lung problems. heart disorders and diabetes compared to a first infection.  The risks were greater when someone was ill with COVID-19, but remained after the acute illness.
After Mancini’s last fight, she experienced dizziness, headaches, insomnia and sinus problems, although she wondered if this was due more to her busy schedule.  Last week, it had 16 performances and rehearsals – and there is no room for another COVID-19 rerun.
“It was not fun,” he said.  “I do not want to have it again.”