MUMBAI: With an uptick in Covid cases in Mumbai, Delhi and Kerala, the debate over reinfections is back.
Intensivist Dr Sanjith Saseedharan from Fortis-Raheja Hospital, Mahim is convinced that many are re-infections. He has tested positive for Covid twice in the last two years and when he fell ill the third time he was not tested. One of its resident doctors has tested positive three times. The idea that a viral infection gives years of immunity doesn’t seem to hold up with the Covid-causing SARS-CoV-2 virus.
“Reinfections are definitely happening. A lot of people in India were infected earlier, and if the Covid numbers go up again, it makes sense to say it’s a reinfection,” said Dr Saseedharan. The Washington-based Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation observed that two-thirds of India’s population were affected by Omicron during the December-January period.
Right now, doctors across the country are wondering if the different strains of Omicron can cause a new infection each time. For example, in Kerala, doctors believe that the XE strain is now dominant and is spreading within families in a short time.
Infectious disease specialist Dr Vasant Nagvekar, a member of the Maharashtra government’s Covid-19 task force, said one might get ‘immunity’ against a strain of Covid-19 but not against the virus . “However, previous infections and vaccination help reduce the impact of the new strain,” he said.
The problem with reinfections is proving them. “Reinfections can only be proven using genomic sequencing. We need samples from each time someone has been infected to say conclusively that the same person has been infected with the Wuhan and Delta strain or Omicron,” said Dr Saseedharan.
In India, only a handful of research papers have looked at reinfections and the first from Mumbai has proven reinfection among nurses in a private hospital.
Dr Shashank Joshi, a member of the Covid task force, said: “There can only be anecdotal discussion of reinfections in India as no comprehensive data has been released from India in this regard.” The only scientifically proven fact about Omicron is that it causes breakthrough infection in people who have taken vaccines; these infections are mild and most do not require hospitalization.
“Omicron’s BA2 strain that swept through Europe and the United States was discovered in India in January. We Indians are immune to it for at least another three months. So it wouldn’t be wrong to say that unless there’s a new variant, there’s no reason to be worried about a surge right now,’ Dr Joshi said.
The current surge in cases, he said, is cluster or community infection. Doctors said the fact that the virus that caused Covid is “still in the community” is reason enough to use a mask.
Intensivist Dr Sanjith Saseedharan from Fortis-Raheja Hospital, Mahim is convinced that many are re-infections. He has tested positive for Covid twice in the last two years and when he fell ill the third time he was not tested. One of its resident doctors has tested positive three times. The idea that a viral infection gives years of immunity doesn’t seem to hold up with the Covid-causing SARS-CoV-2 virus.
“Reinfections are definitely happening. A lot of people in India were infected earlier, and if the Covid numbers go up again, it makes sense to say it’s a reinfection,” said Dr Saseedharan. The Washington-based Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation observed that two-thirds of India’s population were affected by Omicron during the December-January period.
Right now, doctors across the country are wondering if the different strains of Omicron can cause a new infection each time. For example, in Kerala, doctors believe that the XE strain is now dominant and is spreading within families in a short time.
Infectious disease specialist Dr Vasant Nagvekar, a member of the Maharashtra government’s Covid-19 task force, said one might get ‘immunity’ against a strain of Covid-19 but not against the virus . “However, previous infections and vaccination help reduce the impact of the new strain,” he said.
The problem with reinfections is proving them. “Reinfections can only be proven using genomic sequencing. We need samples from each time someone has been infected to say conclusively that the same person has been infected with the Wuhan and Delta strain or Omicron,” said Dr Saseedharan.
In India, only a handful of research papers have looked at reinfections and the first from Mumbai has proven reinfection among nurses in a private hospital.
Dr Shashank Joshi, a member of the Covid task force, said: “There can only be anecdotal discussion of reinfections in India as no comprehensive data has been released from India in this regard.” The only scientifically proven fact about Omicron is that it causes breakthrough infection in people who have taken vaccines; these infections are mild and most do not require hospitalization.
“Omicron’s BA2 strain that swept through Europe and the United States was discovered in India in January. We Indians are immune to it for at least another three months. So it wouldn’t be wrong to say that unless there’s a new variant, there’s no reason to be worried about a surge right now,’ Dr Joshi said.
The current surge in cases, he said, is cluster or community infection. Doctors said the fact that the virus that caused Covid is “still in the community” is reason enough to use a mask.
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