Researchers in South Africa found some evidence that the Omicron variant is easier to re-infect Covid-19 survivors, than the previous variant. "Contrary to our expectations and experience with previous variants, we are currently experiencing an increased risk of reinfection that exceeds our previous experience," said Juliet Pulliam, director of the Center for Epidemiological Modeling and Analysis in South Africa. The research carried out by Pulliam and his team looked at reports of coronavirus infections in 2.7 million people in South Africa since the start of the pandemic, including more than 35,000 people diagnosed with COVID-19 more than once. "We identified 35,670 people with at least two suspected infections (as of 27 November 2021), 332 people with a third suspected infection, and 1 person with four suspected infections," the researchers wrote in their report.
Then, they noted that among individuals who were infected more than once, 47 people or 14.2 percent had their third infection in November 2021. "(The results) suggest that many third (Covid) infections are associated with transmission of the Omicron variant," the researchers said. In addition, the research team suspected that the increase in cases in South Africa indicated the occurrence of Omicron spread, not other factors such as decreased immunity. Local officials say the Omicron variant has now become the dominant strain of the coronavirus in South Africa. 74 percent of the genetically sequenced samples in November were identified as Omicron variants. However, researchers still need more data regarding the effect of the Omicron variant on re-infection of Covid-19 survivors. "The timing of this change strongly suggests that reinfection was driven by the emergence of the Omicron variant," write the researchers. Prior to the emergence of new virus variants, the Delta variant had been the most common variant in South Africa, and dominated globally. "Population-level evidence suggests that the Omicron variant is associated with a substantial ability to evade immunity from prior infection," the study authors continued. That is, researchers say the evidence is very important for public health, especially in countries such as South Africa. On the other hand, Harry Moultrie, senior medical epidemiologist at the Center for Tuberculosis at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases South Africa said their priority now is to find out how vaccines can reduce the incidence of Omicron variants, their transmission, and the severity of the disease. "While there may be some impact, it is likely that the vaccine will still provide some level of protection. Booster doses may be key in providing a high level of protection," said Michael Head, senior researcher in global health at the University of Southampton
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