What the latest omicron subvariants mean for reinfection risk

What the latest omicron subvariants mean for reinfection risk In the U.S., the BA.2.12.1 subvariant is gaining a foothold, while South Africa is seeing a surge in cases from two other subvariants, BA.4 and BA.5. NBC News

... research shows antibodies obtained from vaccination or infection gradually wane over time, and each new omicron subvariant, though still a part of the larger omicron family tree, is slightly different from the last, meaning a person's ability to fight off infections from the virus can shift.

That means reinfection is possible, and perhaps even likely, said Bill Hanage, an associate professor of epidemiology at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

"At some point in the future, it’s reasonable for us to assume that your immune system is going to encounter a virus that can infect it," Hanage said. ...d infection. ...

Julie Swann, a professor at North Carolina State University who has advised the CDC on pandemics, agreed, saying a person's risk level can also depend on other factors, such as age, underlying health conditions and time since last vaccination or infection.

If a person in their 60s received a booster four to six months ago, they will be "potentially susceptible to a worse outcome from one of the omicrons but if it’s timed close to their boosters they may not be quite as much," she said. ...