Covid Reinfections Carry Lower Viral Load, U.K. Data Show

People who catch Covid-19 twice tend to have a lower viral load the second time around, which may mean that they experience a milder illness, U.K. government figures show.

The Office for National Statistics said an analysis of test results from April 26 to July 17 found that so-called cycle threshold values were “significantly lower” in the first episode of illness. The lower the value, the higher the viral load and the stronger the positive test.