Chief health officer Brett Sutton said they had seen a rise during the most recent wave and there were “more than 10,700 reported reinfection cases in the two-week period ending 24 July”. “There have been more than 41,000 reported Covid-19 reinfections in Victoria since 1 April this year,” he said. “This rise in re-infections is due to the dominance of the Omicron BA.4/BA.5 strains of Covid-19 which are known to have a greater ability to evade immunity provided by vaccination or earlier Covid-19 infection.”Reinfections from new Covid variants can occur as early as 28 days after recovering from a previous Covid infection. The Herald Sun understands that Covid reinfections in Victoria had been relatively rare during the pandemic until this year.There have been 51,697 reinfections since January 2020, but less than 0.05 per cent of them — 109 cases — were recorded before December 22, 2021. The majority of reported reinfections in Victoria are from the past eight months. Statewide, 51,588 reinfections – representing more than 99.9 per cent of reinfections – were reported between December 22 last year and July 24 2022. While the reinfection rate has sharply increased, it comes as the overall number of Covid cases dropped after the current wave peaked on July 23, recording more than 71,000 active Covid cases. Professor Sutton warned that reinfections “carry a cumulative risk of long-Covid or post-Covid conditions”, meaning the risk can increase with each subsequent infection. “Re-infections may be milder, but can also be more severe, than first infections,” he said. “The best way to protect yourself is to make sure you’re up to date with your vaccinations, stay home if you’re feeling unwell, wear a well-fitting mask indoors, physically distance and try to maintain good ventilation.” NED-5250-Victoria’s Covid-19 statisticsThe jump in reinfections comes as new data reveals thousands of Victorians continued to cancel plans long after lockdown ended, in a bid to avoid catching Covid, influenza and other viruses. A Finder survey of more than 1000 people in July found more than one in five Australians had been avoiding pubs and bars this winter in a bid to not get sick. One in 10 respondents changed or cancelled travel plans, while a similar number avoided the workplace amid concerns over circulating illness. Victorians were more cautious of the gym than our interstate counterparts, with 22 per cent of us avoiding them in an attempt to dodge viruses compared to a national average of 16 per cent. One in five Victorians decided against visiting cafes or restaurants while 9 per cent had cancelled an event, such as a birthday or wedding. But the most popular measure to avoid getting sick remained vaccination. About 52 per cent of Victorians got their flu shot, while 27 per cent received their fourth (or higher) Covid jab.
Powered by WPeMatico
