New Covid variant arrives in Australia as experts warn to brace for more mutant strains this winter – and why we all might get it AGAIN very soon
- Tens of thousands of Australians could become reinfected with Covid-19
- NSW recorded its first case of BA.4 sub-variant with BA.5 strain also to emerge
- Both strains are sub-variants of Omicron and have run rampant in South Africa
Tens of thousands of Australians will become reinfected with Covid-19 as new sub-variants of Omicron emerge ahead of winter, experts have warned.
NSW recorded its first case of the BA.4 strain on Thursday with the BA.5 sub-variant also expected to reach the country within the next couple of months.
Both strains are variants of Omicron and have led to a sharp uptick in Covid-19 cases in South Africa.
University of Melbourne epidemiologist James McCaw warned the rise of new variants meant people who had been struck down with Covid-19 could be reinfected.
Tens of thousands of Australians will become reinfected with Covid-19 as new sub-variants of Omicron emerge ahead of winter, experts have warned (pictured, driver gets Covid-19 test at Bondi)
NSW recorded its first case of the BA.4 strain on Thursday with the BA.5 sub-variant also expected to reach the country within the next couple of months
‘We will get reinfected, and we are most likely to be reinfected by new versions of the virus which are immunologically different,’ he told Sydney Morning Herald.
‘It’s going to happen more and more because it’s the only way for the virus to establish itself. It will be around forever because of reinfections.’
UNSW’s School of Public Health and Community Medicine James Wood said transmissions would spike across the country within the next couple of months.
‘BA.4 and BA.5 in South Africa are clearly causing cases to go up, and we can expect these are already here in low numbers,’ he said.
Some states have already published reinfection rates with thousands of residents already struck down with the virus twice.
Victoria has reported 10,000 reinfections between December and March. The Northern Territory recorded 28.
NSW has yet to publish its data while Western Australia and Queensland does not keep track of it.
Professor Wood said unvaccinated residents were the most likely to be reinfected.
Children aged under 12 would be particularly vulnerable with low vaccination rates among the group.
University of Melbourne epidemiologist James McCaw warned the rise of new variants meant people who had been infected with Covid-19 could be reinfected
Only 39.5 per cent of children aged between five to 11 have received two doses of the vaccine while 52.8 per cent have received their first dose.
The warning comes as states phase out isolation rules for close contacts.
NSW, Victoria and the ACT have already ditched the requirement and Queensland followed suit at 6pm on Thursday.
Western Australia became the second-last state or territory to abolish quarantine for asymptomatic COVID-19 close contacts, in line with national guidelines, at 12.01am on Friday.
South Australia will from Saturday drop the need to isolate unless showing symptoms.
Fully vaccinated close contacts in the NT no longer need to isolate unless they are symptomatic.
Tasmania will drop the seven-day isolation requirement for close contacts of Covid-19 cases from May 2.
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