Friday 24 June 2022 01:27 AM Reinfection from new Omicron variants and rising hospital Covid cases prompts ... trends now
New Covid-19 variants have led to rising case numbers and hospitalisations from the virus, prompting fresh warnings from experts.
Experts are renewing calls for people to get their COVID-19 booster dose in the wake of rising infections and hospitalisations.
Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly says there are continuing reinfections from the Omicron variant that are escaping immune responses bolstered by vaccinations.
'We are seeing reinfection, we know that Omicron, having had a previous dose of one of the other variants of Covid-19, did escape that immune protection from both a previous dose and from only two doses of vaccine,' Professor Kelly told Sky News.
'Sub-variants of Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 have now become the dominant strain in the UK (and are) growing particularly on the east coast of Australia.'
Experts are renewing calls for people to get their Covid-19 booster dose in the wake of rising infections and hospitalisations for new strains of Omicron
Only 70 per cent of the eligible population has received their Covid-19 booster dose
But while the variants are more transmissible, there has not been any uptick in the severity of the disease, the chief medical officer said.
'We will see reinfections over the coming weeks and months, unfortunately with that one, but what we're not seeing is a large increase in severe disease,' he said.
'That's really due to the vaccine protection which can be boosted with a third and fourth dose.'
Treatments and the availability of COVID-19 antivirals have also aided in the response to serious cases of the virus, Prof Kelly said.
Australia's Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly says there are continuing reinfections from the Omicron variant that are escaping immune
