Covid: UAE doctors explain why chances of reinfection are higher with some variants

The Omicron variant can come with an increased risk of reinfection, even among those who’ve had Covid-19 earlier, but it usually also comes in a much milder form in immunized communities, say medics. 

Thus, doctors in the UAE reiterate the silver lining is that Omicron is not as deadly in vaccinated people despite the breakthrough infections. 

Dr. Saheer Sainalabdeen, a specialist pulmonologist at Medeor Hospital, Dubai, opines, “Reinfection means getting infected by Covid-19 twice. A study conducted in the UK in December shows that the omicron variant is five times more infectious compared to the Delta variant. So, the possible explanation for reinfection, as of now, is the highly contagious nature of the virus, how much immunity can the vaccines build to resist the virus and the waning vaccine effect over time.

” Sainalabdeen adds, “More than reinfection, the concerning factor is of confection – the combination of Omicron with another variant. How the body immunity will behave to this can only be understood in the coming days.” 

Medics say the virus is mutating like the influenza virus, and Omicron is not necessarily different from the other variants.

Read Full Story: KhaleejTimes

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