“What the hell is that?”: The unlucky Australian who caught Covid twice | Coronavirus

When Peter Coleman underwent a rapid antigen test just weeks after recovering from Covid-19, it was partly “to enjoy it.”

Peter and his husband first tested positive for the virus on January 10 during the post-holiday period when there was a surge in incidents that hit most of Melbourne and Australia.

“I’m really sick, but I didn’t expect to be positive. I thought I’d just reconfirm,” he says.

“After taking the exam, I was calling with a friend. Then I looked around … like …” I have to go “… what did you say? “

Peter is one of the unlucky Australians who re-infected Covid-19 after full or partial recovery from the virus.

Data on Covid-19 reinfection are not currently collated by the federal government.But a spokesperson from the department health The advent of Omicron states that the risk of reinfection has been “significantly increased” compared to previous variants.

“There is increasing evidence that there is little cross-neutralization with Omicron,” says a spokesman.

“It is unclear whether Omicron infection protects against another Omicron infection, and there remains significant uncertainty about the persistence of immunity after infection with the advent of Omicron.”

When Peter was first infected with the virus, he was hit by a fog in his brain, so he forgot how to order food at Uber Eats, along with muscle aches and malaise. However, the second time the symptoms are very different and resemble a common cold or flu.

Peter, who works from home, says he “doesn’t know” where the second infection occurred, but only outside the first 30 days of positive testing.

Fully vaccinated Peter expects to be attacked by the Omicron strain, but there is no way to know for sure.

Peter says the second match was relatively minor. When the nurse rang to check him, she asked if he was depressed.

“I said,’I’m not depressed, I’m not impressed’ … RuPaul’s Dragrace really helps me.”

“It is less likely to get the same variant again”

The Australian Infectious Diseases Network “continues to monitor evidence of reinfection and whether the definition of reinfection in national public health guidelines requires review.”

If someone is re-exposed to the virus within 28 days of being released from quarantine, that person will be exempt from further quarantine. This decision was last confirmed on February 2nd.

Dr. Deborah Cromer, senior researcher at the Kirby Institute’s Infection Analysis Program, states that the likelihood of acquiring a Covid-19 infection twice depends in part on mutations and time from vaccination.

Two doses of the vaccine provide protection against 80% or 90% or more of symptomatic disease in Delta, but decrease to about 70% for mRNA vaccination and 40-50% for AstraZeneca in Omicron.

However, when you receive a booster, your protection will increase to 70-80%.

“Very early in the circulation of the original strain, we were asking how much we could prevent the sick from getting sick again,” says Deborah.

“Studies have shown that people who receive the Pfizer vaccine first dose are taking twice as much. [immunity] As a person who has recovered from a normal virus. However, all vaccines provide immunity primarily targeting the original strain. “

Deborah says that when someone acquires the virus, they have specific immunity to the variant and some general immunity to SARS-Cov-2.

“It’s less likely that you’ll get the same variant again, but it’s not completely protected,” she says. “Still, it’s not expected to be that serious. As with the current flu, protection will grow.”

Covid-19 has some important differences from influenza, but Deborah may have both asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic viruses, and repeated exposure boosts the body’s immunity. Therefore, they say that they have similarities.

“Where is it probably? [Covid-19] Eventually it will go, “says Deborah.

“Every time I experience a SARS-Cov-2 infection, my immunity improves somewhat, which means that next time I still have immunity.”

Clancy Read was the first virus positive in the second wave of Fiji last August. She and her family, who lived in Suva, lived a relatively Covid-free life until “shit hits fans” in April.

“We were in close contact and everyone went and took the test. Only my daughter, who was two at the time, was positively back,” she says.

“We were moving home … it was just a disaster. So we were isolated on our own and as soon as we got to our new home I got really sick.

“It’s in my chest, in my breath, I’m lying there at midnight,’Oh God, when do you say you need to call it for treatment?'”

Clancy thinks she would have been in the hospital if she were in Australia, but was afraid to get sick alone, away from her husband and daughter.

“The hardest part was not knowing how bad it would be,” she says. “Psychological symptoms were as bad as physical symptoms.”

Then, after a few months of slow recovery, the Christmas period came and Clancy was positive again.

“We all got sick, and I think it was Omicron,” she says. “I flattened for two weeks, but it wasn’t too scary … I wasn’t weeping at night.

“Now, families who don’t have Covid are nervous. They want to get over it, but we’re happy to go out together … there’s an element of peace of mind.”

Deborah doesn’t say it’s “not particularly likely” to be re-infected with the virus because of the ongoing pandemic.

“In Australia, the time frame for people to get infected repeatedly is relatively short. It may be unlikely. [now] That’s why, “she says. “But from a theoretical point of view, having Covid is nothing special. Having a disease gives you some immunity, and vaccination gives you some immunity. Both are your immunity. Increase your strength. “

“It’s enough to get Covid twice.”

Eleanor is still suffering from exposure to the virus. She first tested positive for Covid at the beginning of January on her Omicron wave after her housemate was infected with the virus.

Eleanor, who does not want to use her name, showed various symptoms such as headache, diarrhea, shortness of breath, and insomnia, and began to subside within a few days. But then her second roommate returned from work outside the town a few weeks later and tested positive on his arrival. This time she showed various symptoms.

“Fever, chills, cough, swelling of the glands.”

Eleanor is usually an active person. She does rock climbing and regular training with personal trainers.

“Now I’m short of breath and have a racing heart,” she says. “I really struggle with exercise and breathe back very easily … and I continue to have a cough caused by laughter.

“I’m annoyed by people who say they have a cold or the flu. I’m 33 years old and I’m short of breath for over a month. It’s enough to get Covid twice.”