Can Omicron infect you twice? Top health adviser Anthony Fauci answers
Premium- It is highly unlikely to get re-infected with the Omicron variant of coronavirus: Fauci
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top medical adviser in the United States of America on Friday suggested that it is highly unlikely to get re-infected with the Omicron variant of coronavirus.
He mentioned that it is unlikely that a person who got infected with the Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus will be re-infected with the same variant at least for several months of them getting infected.
Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, was answering the question whether people who are vaccinated against the novel coronavirus can get infected with the Omicron variant of coronavirus.
“Sure, there are reinfections. But it is unlikely that if you mount a good immune response, at least over a period of several months, it is extremely unlikely that you will be re-infected with the same variant," the top immunologist said.
The top US adviser said that the number of variants of the deadly virus that are getting discovered has prompted authorities to plan for best-case and the worst-case scenarios.
Defining the best-case scenario, Fauci said that people who got re-infected with the covid-19 virus had gotten ill with two variants both times.
“The worst-case scenario is something we have to be prepared for, and that is: We do get down to a level that we would say would be “adequate control," but we’re faced with another surprise with a variant that’s so different that it eludes the accumulation of the immune protection that we’ve gotten from vaccinations and from prior infections," he added.
Omicron quickly swept through the places it first hit, such as South Africa, the UK and the United States, pushing daily cases far higher than at any time during the pandemic.
The Americas reported nearly 7.2 million new Covid infections and more than 15,000 Covid-related deaths over the past week, the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) said.
Coronavirus infections across the Americas almost doubled between Jan 1 and Jan 8, from 3.4 million cases to 6.1 million, PAHO said.
Infections are accelerating in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia and Peru, and hospitalisations are rising in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, said PAHO Director Carissa Etienne.
The Caribbean islands are experiencing their steepest increase in COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic, Etienne noted.
Infections are also increasing in Asia, including in the Philippines, which has seen its worst coronavirus outbreak in recent weeks.
(With inputs from agencies)
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