Two thirds of Brits who have caught Omicron already had Covid, study finds

AROUND two thirds of individuals contaminated with Omicron had already caught earlier Covid variants, a examine has discovered.

Imperial School London’s React examine discovered 72 per cent of Brits struck with the mutant variant prior to now few months had been reinfected.

Virus chiefs within the UK will embody folks's second Covid infections in each day case counts from MondayCredit score: PA

High scientists estimate as many as seven in 10 folks now catching Covid have had it earlier than.

Professor Christl Donnelly, who runs the examine, mentioned: “There look like people who find themselves at increased danger, as a result of they have been contaminated once more.”

England noticed file highs of Covid infections in January, however ranges are slowly dropping now.

The examine discovered one in 23 folks in England have been contaminated between January 5 and 20, the very best determine since Could 2020.

The very best prevalence was in main faculty youngsters at 7.81 per cent throughout that interval, whereas general it was 4.41 per cent.

Prof Paul Elliott mentioned: “Clearly the kind of individuals who acquired contaminated beforehand are the kind of people who find themselves getting contaminated at present.”

One other 94,326 instances have been introduced yesterday, with the numbers flattening off as a result of a fall in adults is being cancelled out by rises in youngsters.

There have been 439 extra deaths and 17,162 folks in hospitals throughout the UK.

The React examine mentioned there may be now a plateau in infections in England after the wave hit a file excessive within the first week of January.

Prof Donnelly added: “Even whether it is going up in youngsters, it will not do this indefinitely. 

“Clearly, having a baby that goes to highschool dwelling at house is a possible danger issue for the remainder of the household. 

“However there was lots of transmission already amongst adults, and there is been lots of vaccination as nicely – so this stuff are buying and selling off one another.”

Totally vaccinated individuals who catch Covid find yourself with a "tremendous immunity", a examine has claimed.

Oregon Well being and Science College mentioned that is additionally the case for many who get contaminated earlier than having two jabs.

Volunteers with each sorts of immunity produced an "amazingly excessive" antibody response, that was ten occasions stronger, assessments confirmed.

It comes as an enormous spike in Covid instances is predicted subsequent week when well being chiefs begin counting reinfections for the primary time.

From Monday, the UK Well being Safety Company will embody folks testing constructive for a second time in its each day instances depend, a transfer set to explode the numbers.

UKHSA’s official estimate suggests solely 10 to fifteen per cent of instances are reinfections, however together with them will nonetheless bump up the each day figures.

The brand new system will see any constructive assessments which might be a minimum of 90 days aside counted as separate instances.

UKHSA officers mentioned: “Because the pandemic continues and extra variants emerge, it's extra probably that folks shall be reinfected with Covid-19.”