UK: Two-thirds of people with Omicron say they have already suffered from COVID

The latest findings from a large, ongoing study by Real-time Assessment of Community Transmission (REACT) which looked at thousands of swab-testing revealed that roughly two-thirds of those who have recently been infected with the 'highly mutated' Omicron strain reported that they had earlier suffered from COVID. Even though more research is required to determine how many are actual reinfections, the findings do suggest which demographics are more likely to get COVID again. As per BBC, healthcare professionals and families with children or several people living under one roof are among them. 

As a part of the research, over two million citizens had participated in the swab test. During the first two weeks of 2022 (round 17), the most recent findings have been based on around 100,000 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests that were sent to participants and subsequently returned. Approximately 4,000 people were tested positive, the greatest number since the COVID-19 outbreak began. 

One out of every ten Omicron cases might be reinfected

When the selection of samples was analysed to see what kind of COVID virus was taken into account, it turned out that nearly all of them were Omicron, the highly contagious form initially discovered in South Africa and responsible for a large surge of infections in the UK during the winter season. However, it is unclear how many of the participants who have been tested positive had received all of their vaccinations. 

In two out of every three infected participants (which constitute 65%) who were earlier tested positive for the virus, it has the possibility that many of these were reinfected. Although, in other cases, the most recent PCR tests may be catching up ancient viral remnants. According to some calculations, one out of every ten Omicron cases might be reinfected, BBC reported.  

COVID infections reduced but prevalent in UK: Study

Coronavirus infections have lately been reduced but remained prevalent in the UK, especially in children and young teens, according to the REACT results. React program director Professor Paul Elliott of Imperial College London said "There is rapidly increasing prevalence among children now they are mixing more following the start of the school term and, compared with December, the prevalence in older people, aged 65 plus, has increased... which may lead to increased hospitalisations,” BBC reported.  

Meanwhile, as per Worldometers, over 16,047,716 individuals have been affected by the disease in the nation since the outbreak, and more than 154,356 people have lost their lives due to Coronavirus. 

(Image: AP/ Pixabay)