Brits warned as new Omicron BA.5 variant means you can catch COVID again within 4 weeks

coronavirus variant Omicron BA.5 can reinfect people despite protections. Previous advice suggested that anyone who is vaccinated, have received antibody treatments, or have developed natural immunity from any previous exposure were less at risk, especially in the initial months after.However, Andrew Robertson, the chief health officer of Western Australia, claims that he is seeing cases of reinfection within a matter of weeks, as reported by News.com.au.READ MORE: Inside Wimbledon's Royal Box dramas from 'boycott' by Duchess to Prince's F-bombHe explained: “What we are seeing is an increasing number of people who have been infected with BA.2 and then becoming infected after four weeks."So maybe six to eight weeks they are developing a second infection, and that's almost certainly either BA.4 or BA.5."The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has recently reminded people to ensure their COVID-19 vaccinations are up to date and to continue following COVID-safe behaviours.This comes following the latest technical data indicated BA.4 and BA.5 have become dominant in the UK and are driving the recent increase in infections.

Reinfections with BA.5 and BA.4 are thought to be less severe compared with early COVID-19 infections, Dr. David Dowdy, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told Insider.He explains this is because the virus has evolved to have some resistance to antibodies, immune systems are learning to respond to it.The cases of reinfection recorded could be due to a mutation in the virus that has let them evade the previous protections.Dowdy said that: “while the immune system still churns out antibodies to neutralize an infection, that protection tapers off over time.