Cases of COVID are increasing in Canada.Here’s what you need to know about reinfection-nationwide

As research suggests COVID-19 (new coronavirus infection) The emergence of a more contagious version of the virus, which infects about half of Canada’s population, means that some people may participate in the next round.

However, questions remain about the prevalence of reinfection and the possible short-term and long-term health effects of subsequent cases of the virus.

With the increasing number of cases, experts had to say about new evidence of reinfection:

How likely is it to be re-infected?

According to an analysis published by COVID-19 in Canada, the emergence of Omicron mutants causes a tsunami of infection, with 7% to 45% of the population having antibodies to the virus between December 2021 and May 2022. Has risen to. This month’s Immunity Task Force.

Task Force co-chair Catherine Hankins said the jury could re-infect this previously infected population, especially as Omicron’s BA.5 subvariant has spurred a surge in summer. Said he hadn’t decided yet.

“All we know is that it can happen,” said Professor Hankins of McGill University. “This particular variant can circumvent immunity, including immunity to previous … subvariants.”

Prabhat Jha, a professor of epidemiology at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health, said the initial hope that Omicron would spread rapidly and act as a “beneficial natural booster” that causes only mild symptoms did not come true. Stated.

“As more evidence accumulates, it suggests that Omicron is not the great guardian we all thought it would be,” he said, citing data from the United Kingdom.

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Professor Lynora Saxinger of the University of Alberta School of Medicine said that BA.5 is so different from previous strains that the immunity accumulated by previous mutant cases may not be able to prevent infection.

“It’s not impossible to get re-infected,” she said.

How much protection do you get from “hybrid immunity”?

People who have been both vaccinated and infected should be enhanced by “hybrid immunity,” Hankins said. However, the signs that some people have been re-infected with COVID-19 shortly after the previous attack indicate that natural immunity enhancement is short-lived, she said.

“People shouldn’t really think it’s over and dusty. They got it, and that’s it,” Hankins said. “If you keep exposing yourself, you will get it again.”

Saxinger said BA.5 may be more skilled in breaking through hybrid protection, but at this point it is not possible for people with Omicrons to re-infect one of their relatives. Rarely.

“A combination of vaccination and a relatively recent infection? If there are no particular risk factors, it’s not terrible for (BA.4 or BA.5).”

A Canadian study shows that people with three COVID-19 vaccines and one infection have the highest levels of antibodies.

Still, he emphasized that infected people could benefit from another COVID-19 shot.

“The evidence shows very clearly that relying on natural infections to protect you is really dangerous. We knew it from the beginning,” he said. “The best precaution is to get the vaccine at least three times.”

How does reinfection affect the severity of the disease?

Hankins said it’s difficult to track whether people infected with COVID-19 get sick on average a second or third time.

“It seems to vary greatly from person to person,” she said. “The general expectation is that the second time you won’t get so sick, but we’re seeing everything.”

The government has reported a large number of people in hospitals, some of whom have previously been infected with the virus, suggesting that reinfection leads to more serious illnesses. It may look like, Saksinger said. It’s just that there are many cases of COVID overall.

“It’s actually a huge amount of transmission function that will lead to a serious increase in outcomes,” she said. “But at the per capita level, the risk of serious consequences still seems to be quite low, especially with the combination of complete vaccination and previous infections.”

Jha said this is another area that needs further research.

“But in theory, having multiple infections is definitely not good for you,” he said.

“Some cavalry say,’I only get infected a few times and then it’s okay,'” he added.

He also said it was unclear whether reinfection would increase the likelihood of long-term COVID.

“There are suggestions that multiple infections can contribute to longer symptoms. But again, this is something we don’t know enough.”

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What should we do?

“Everyone asked for a quick answer,” I see. I want to know what to do. And I want to put this behind me, “Jha said. “But the virus works on its own schedule.”

“Our immune system is trying to catch up with the mutating virus … and we must be basically wise.”

He said it was important to increase the third dose to protect people from reinfection. Each shot you receive reduces the severity of the illness.

According to national data, only 56% of Canadians over the age of 12 have been vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine at least three times, while about 90% have been vaccinated twice.

Hankins agreed that it was important to get a third shot.

“This is a very infectious pathogen, but the stronger the immunity on board, the better,” she said.