The Sunday Mail
Sunday Mail Reporter
PEOPLE who contract the Omicron variant of Covid-19 are not immune to reinfection, an expert has said.
With Covid-19 variants like Delta or Beta, reinfections were uncommon, as the body developed effective immunity against the virus.
However, World Health Organisation (WHO) Zimbabwe team leader Dr Lincoln Charimari told journalists during a Covid-19 and mental health workshop last week that unlike the previous variants, the new mutant strain has peculiar characteristics.
“With the Omicron variant, one can get Covid-19 today and they fully recover and in a few weeks they are infected by it again,” he said.
According to the Ministry of Health and Child Care, symptoms of the new variant have been less severe relative to the Delta and Beta strains.
“The Omicron variant is spreading faster than the Delta variant, which was the fastest variant of concern. It has a doubling time of one-and-a-half to two days. This means if you have 10 cases today, you can have 20 the next day,” said Dr Charimari.
Vaccines, he added, are still the most effective shield against Covid-19.
During the third wave of the pandemic, the highest daily figure recorded in Zimbabwe was 3 110 cases.
Under the Omicron variant, the highest daily figure recorded so far is 6 181 cases on December 10 this year.
To date, the new variant has been confirmed in 89 countries, including Zimbabwe.
The Government has continued to call on citizens to get vaccinated to reduce chances of hospitalisation and severe illness in the event of contracting Covid-19. The Ministry of Health and Child Care has been administering booster shots meant to enhance protection against the virus.
