The risk of long COVID was two to three times higher after the initial infection (14.8%) than after first (5.8%) or second (5.3%) reinfections.
Plaque growth can lead to a higher risk of heart attack, stroke, and other life-threatening cardiovascular events for as long as 1 year.
Post-exertional malaise, or exercise intolerance, was seen in 36% of those with long COVID.
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The next few months could be difficult, if Christmas and New Years gatherings and travel seed a new surge in infections.
A study of hospital air contamination in JAMA Network Open last week found that 17.4% of air samples from environments near COVID-19 patients were positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA, the virus that causes COVID-19, but only 8.6% contained viable virus.
Only two reinfections occurred in antibody-positive workers, both asymptomatic, and researchers said earlier infection appears to protect for at least 6 months.
One reason for concern: The variant has developed 23 mutations in just months.
More than 40% of US hospitals with ICUs are at 85% or higher capacity, as Pfizer agrees to supply 100,000 more vaccine doses.
France eases its ban on travel from England, a move prompted by the discovery of a rapidly spreading variant virus.
No COVID vertical transmission was found, but maternal antibody transfer was less than expected.
The findings provide hope that vaccines may generate long-term protection.
A multistate analysis of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in the American Journal of Epidemiology yesterday found that 12.6% of patients died, with blacks especially hard hit.
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine likely protects against the UK variant, an official says.
