Omicron variant leads to more cases of Covid reinfection in South Africa

The emergence of the omicron variant has resulted in an increase in cases of reinfection by Covid-19 in South Africa. The symptoms in these cases are mild, a condition that equally applies to people already vaccinated against the new coronavirus.

“Previous infections [pela Covid-19] used to protect against delta, but with omicron that doesn’t seem to happen,” said microbiologist Anne von Gottber, from the South African national public health institute, during a meeting organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday (two).

Gottber said he believes the disease should have milder effects on the occurrence of reinfections caused by the omicron, as well as on those who are already immunized. “This is what we are trying to show and monitor very carefully in South Africa,” he said.

Reported to the WHO for the first time on the 24th, the variant has caused concern. For the entity, the probability that the new strain will spread around the world is high. After being initially detected in South Africa, the omicron has already been detected in all five continents.

In Brazil, for now, there are three confirmed cases of infected by the new strain. All are imported, that is, they took place outside the country.

Two of them are missionaries, a 41-year-old man and a 37-year-old woman. They landed in Guarulhos, on the 23rd, from South Africa. Both went to a laboratory at the airport terminal and tested positive for Covid. The couple is isolated in the home of relatives in São Paulo.

The third case is a 29-year-old boy who tested positive for Covid after returning from Ethiopia at the end of the week — he passed through South Africa, where there were the first confirmations of infection by the new strain. It fulfills isolation in Guarulhos.

The three infected are asymptomatic and had already been vaccinated against the new coronavirus, according to the State Department of Health.