People get infected from the now dominant Omicron variant of the coronavirus, are unlikely to be re-infected in a short time by subtype BA.2, also known as Omicron 2, according to a new Danish scientific study. Infection of the same person with two different variants of Omicron is possible even if not long ago, but it is very rare. In addition, according to the research, Omicron 2 re-infections mainly affect a disproportionately large percentage, mainly the unvaccinated.
Researchers at the Danish Statens Serum Institute studied data on approximately 1.8 million Covid-19 cases between November 2021 and February 2022, including 1,739 cases of a second positive test of the same person over a period of 20 to 60 days. Of these, 263 pairs of positive samples were randomly selected and analyzed and 181 cases of re-infection were found, of which 47 (18%) with Omicron 2 (BA.2) followed by Omicron (BA.1).
Of the 47 cases of re-infection, 42 (almost 90% or nine out of ten) were unvaccinated, indicating that they were much more likely to be re-infected with Omicron 2 shortly after being infected with Omicron. Most re-infections affected unvaccinated people under the age of 30, mainly children and adolescents.
Omicron 2 looks about one and a half times more contagious than the original Omicron. It has already dominated Denmark, while tending to dominate other countries such as Britain, South Africa and Norway. Its incidence is rising rapidly in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But there is no evidence, according to scientists, that Omicron 2 causes more serious or deadly Covid-19 disease or that it escapes vaccines better than Omicron.
As the Danish study showed, Omicron or Omicron 2 re-infections are characterized by generally mild symptoms compared to the original infection and do not lead to hospitalization or death, according to the British Independent and Reuters.
Follow Skai.gr on Google News
and be the first to know all the news
