NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — COVID-19 reinfections are now being seen more often by doctors in the U.S. and in Connecticut.
“COVID reinfections are certainly possible just like many other viruses we’ve had in the past, the common cold you can get a reinfection from,” said Yale’s Chief of Emergency Medicine Administration Dr. Arjun Venkatesh.
“Whether you’ve had a prior COVID infection in the past or you’ve been vaccinated in the past, if you were to get COVID again, your body and your immune system are ready to fight it,” he said.
Venkatesh said most cases are mild, usually do not result in hospitalizations and people recover quite well.
WEB EXTRA: Dr. Arjun Venkatesh, chief of emergency medicine administration at Yale Medicine and associate professor at Yale School of Medicine, discusses COVID reinfections and teen mental health
COVID-19 has also impacted the mental health of so many, especially teenagers.
“Teens were struggling even before the pandemic,” Venkatesh said. “Those kids now find themselves with few places to turn for mental health services.”
He said there has always been a shortage of pediatric mental health capacity in this country and now it is a real problem.
Venkatesh said if you know a teen struggling, try to talk with them and try to help them find any help they can get.
“Even if it isn’t a specialist, many pediatricians are ready and turning their practices to be available to these teens around the state.”
Additionally, after 14 years of recording fewer traffic accidents, he said they are now up. The psychological fallout from the pandemic has made people more reckless.
“People are drinking more, people are driving faster and unfortunately we see that in the E.R. as more crashes.”