(AP) – Evidence is growing that the use of COVID-19 may not be re-protected by some of the new variants.
Humans can also get second-hand infections with earlier versions of the coronavirus if they first put up a weak defense, new research suggests.
How long immunity lasts against natural infection is one of the big questions in the pandemic.
Scientists still think that reinfections are fairly rare and usually less serious than initial, but recent developments around the world have raised concerns.
In South Africa, new infections with a variant were found in 2% of the people who previously had an earlier version of the virus.
In Brazil, several similar cases with a new variant have been recorded there.
Researchers are investigating whether re-infections help explain a recent boom in the city of Manaus, where three-quarters of the population was previously infected.
In the United States, a study found that 10% of Marine recruits who had evidence of previous infection and repeatedly tested negative before starting basic training were later re-infected.
The work was done before the new variants began to spread, said one study leader, Dr. Stuart Sealfon of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. “Previous infection does not give you a free pass,” he said. A significant risk of reinfection remains. ‘
Re-infections are a healthcare concern, not just a personal one.
Even in cases where reinfection causes no symptoms or merely mild symptoms, people can still spread the virus.
Therefore, health officials are calling for vaccination as a long-term solution and encouraging people to wear masks, keep physical distance and wash their hands regularly.
Doctors in South Africa became concerned when they saw a surge of cases late last year in areas where blood tests indicate that many people already had the virus.
Scientists have discovered a new version of the virus that is more contagious and less susceptible to certain treatments.
It now causes more than 90% of new cases in South Africa and has spread to 40 countries, including the United States.
Madhi led a study that tested the vaccine of Novavax and found it to be less effective against the new variant.
The study also revealed that infections with the new variant were just as common among people who had COVID-19 as those who did not.
Scientists in California are also investigating whether a newly identified variant could cause re-infections or a resurgence in cases there.
We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] and follow @thejamaicastar on Instagram and on Twitter @JamaicaStar, and on Facebook: @TheJamaicaStar.