Omicron more likely to cause reinfection than other COVID variants, researchers say: LIVE UPDATES
The risk for coronavirus reinfection is at least three times higher with the omicron variant compared to previous ones, South African researchers studying the newly identified mutation of the virus have said.
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Cases of the omicron COVID-19 variant are being confirmed around the country this weekend.
The first case of the "variant of concern" was identified in a California resident and public health officials in the Golden State said Friday that at least five people in Alameda County were infected by the strain after attending a wedding in Wisconsin last month.
Which other states have identified omicron cases? Read Fox News' story here.
South African scientists say the risk of reinfection from the omicron COVID-19 variant is at least three times higher than for any previous variant.
In the preliminary study, researchers looked at approximately 2.8 million positive coronavirus infections between March 2020 and Nov. 27, 2021, and 35,670 suspected reinfections were identified.
From this retrospective analysis, the group said increases in primary infection were observed following the introduction of both the beta and delta variants, but no corresponding increase was observed in the reinfection hazard.
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