More than two years after the first Covid cases in the UK, millions of Britons have contracted the virus, some more than once. increase.
Around one in 25 of her in England has tested positive for the virus, according to the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures at the end of July.
The ONS noted a continued downward trend in the number of people infected with Covid in England, Wales and Scotland in the week ending 25 July, although cases were reported earlier this summer. The primary cause of the surge was Omicron subvariant BA.4. and BA.5.
So what are the chances of reinfection and how much protection do vaccines and booster shots offer?
Everything you need to know is here.
Covid reinfection frequency.
When an Omicron variant hit the UK last December, reinfection rates he increased 15-fold.
Scientists believe that massive mutation of the omicron allowed the virus to overtake established immunity.
This is why people who were vaccinated or infected with the virus became infected again around Christmas time.
Danny Altman, professor of immunology at Imperial College London,told The Guardian:
Reinfection rates rose dramatically when Omicron landed in the UK at Christmas
(AP)
This suggests that even if you had Omicron between the Christmas and New Year waves, you could still get the virus again.
} Professor Tim Spector, who leads the ZOE Covid app told The Guardian: Some had BA.4/5 who had BA.1/2 only 4 months ago and thought they would be protected.
However, the professor added that it was "rare" for him to be reinfected with Covid within three months.
What if I am vaccinated?
The new BA.4 and BA.5 variants contain mutations not present in Omicron's initial strain.
So even if you've been vaccinated and hit a booster shot, you're still vulnerable to the new subvariant.
Chinese researchers reported in the journal Nature that a new subvariant “significantly reduced neutralizing antibodies induced by SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination. Avoid," he said.
Vaccinated and boosted people can become infected with new Omicron variants
(AP)
BA.1 viruses such as those developed by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna "may not achieve broad-spectrum protection against new Omicron variants," researchers warn. .
"My personal bias is that while there may be some benefit to getting an Omicron-specific vaccine, it is less than keeping existing vaccines and boosters up to date. I don't think there's much benefit," said Dr. Onyema Ogbuag. Infectious disease researcher at Yale Medical School in New Haven, Connecticut.
"Despite immune evasion, vaccines can still be expected to prevent serious illness," Dr. Ogvuag said.
"If you want a booster, get a booster. What we've learned clinically is that keeping vaccines up to date is paramount." 81}
How much worse will my symptoms be if I get reinfected?
In general, infections tend to be milder in the second or third round due to residual immunity that the body develops.
However, according to preliminary data from Professor Takashi Sato and colleagues at the University of Tokyo, the new subvariant may have evolved to favor infection of lung cells rather than upper respiratory tissues.
This makes it more similar to the earlier, more severe alpha and delta variants.
Dr. Stephen Griffin, a virologist at the University of Leeds, said:
It is too early to tell whether symptoms will be more aggressive in the event of reinfection, but the risk of these new Omicron variants is "more potentially than the original his BA.2." It's big," said Professor Sato.
This article was modified on his August 11, 2022. Previous versions referred to an increase in Covid cases and a "surge" in cases. This is incorrect as the latest data from ONS show that cases have declined after peaking in early July.
