Majority of Covid-19 cases now in Karnataka are reinfections: Data

Bengaluru: Covid-19 data from Karanataka suggests that most of the fresh pandemic cases are reinfections, a trend a recent study found in the UK, The Indian Express reported.

Dr Niranjan Patil of Metropolis Healthcare Ltd said that two-thirds of the vaccinated were having reinfections. Hybrid immunity- acquired through previous infection and vaccination- has reduced symptoms, severity and shortened duration of the illness, Niranjan said. He is AVP & Scientific Business Head-Infectious Diseases, Microbiology & Molecular Biology-Head, & Biosafety Officer.

Meanwhile, Dr Satyanarayana Mysore of Manipal Hospitals said that he had witnessed patients who were infected in all three waves. Theoretically, it is possible to be infected multiple times, he said. Though the human body's immunity troops, T-cell memory and antibodies, help in reducing the severity of the disease, a person could contract the virus multiple times if covid appropriate behaviour is not followed.

Dr Srivatsa Lokeshwaran, Pulmonologist in Aster CMI Hospital, said that Omicron is so contagious that it is three times faster than Delta in spreading, which could be the cause of reinfections. Therefore, he suggested precautionary doses of Covid vaccines.

Meanwhile, elaborating on the reduced risk of severity in illness in many of the reinfection cases, well-known epidemiologist and public health expert Dr Giridhara Babu says that in most instances, immunity acquired following primary infection with SARS-CoV-2 will protect against hospitalisation and death upon subsequent exposure to the virus.

However, epidemiologist Dr Giridhara Babu said that previous infections would protect hospitalisations or death in future infections, citing available evidence so far.

Dr Subrata Das said that though the observed symptoms are milder among reinfected patients, the reinfection process is faster. There are chances that 10-15% per cent of people are getting reinfected, she said.