A preliminary study by South African scientists published suggests the Omicron variant is three times more likely to cause reinfections compared to the Delta or Beta strains.
A healthcare worker conducts a polymerase chain reaction Covid-19 test on a traveller at OR Tambo International Airport in JohannesburgJOHANNESBURG - A preliminary study by South African scientists published Thursday suggests the Omicron variant is three times more likely to cause reinfections compared to the Delta or Beta strains.
"Recent reinfections have occurred in individuals whose primary infections occurred across all three waves, with the most having their primary infection in the Delta wave," tweeted Juliet Pulliam, director of the South African DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis. "Data are also urgently needed on disease severity associated with Omicron infection, including in individuals with a history of prior infection," she said."This analysis does look very concerning, with immunity from previous infections being relatively easily bypassed. Might this all still be a ‘false alarm’? That is looking less and less likely," he said in a statement.
WHO experts reiterated calls for a rethink on travel bans against southern Africa, given that Omicron had now been reported in nearly two dozen countries and its source remained unclear.
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