What are the chances you could catch COVID a second time?

Well, with vaccine numbers being released today for high-priority Minnesotans, optimism for this being the beginning of the end is very high right now. But even with vaccines on the way, local health experts are warning Minnesota residents now is not the time to let your guard down. Fox 9's Mitti Hicks has more.

You have this first emotional reaction of, oh, my god, am I going to die?

Nina was shocked and afraid when she tested positive for COVID-19 in August. Her feelings changed when she tested positive a second time in October. She asked us to hide her identity.

But it was more of, wow, I'm embarrassed. I can't believe that I somehow also got myself exposed a second time.

She says getting to positive test results 65 days apart is something she didn't think was possible. Neither did Bobby Stevenson, who told Fox 9 in an earlier interview that the second time was harder.

It was kind of weird to me how I felt a lot worse this time. Everything was times 100 with my body aches.

Doctors say reinfections are not common but possible. The likely reason is because the virus lingers.

And I could do a PCR on you to day that would be positive not because you have living COVID viruses left in you, but because you've got fragments of the COVID viruses that were there three weeks ago.

As state leaders roll out plans on getting a vaccine out to the public, Dr. Rhame warns a vaccine is not the end.

You're not necessarily safe if you've had COVID before or if you've been vaccinated before. You're way better off, but you're not necessarily safe.

The CDC acknowledges that reinfections are rare but expected. The health agency continues to recommend wearing face masks, of course, social distancing, and avoiding large crowds. In Minneapolis, Mitti Hix, Fox 9.