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 In Denmark, a more infectious sublineage of the Omicron coronavirus
variant known as BA.2 has quickly dethroned the "original" BA.1
variant, which is the most common worldwide, but it has remained
unclear whether a person could get infected by both variants.
A new study, led by researchers at Denmark's top infectious disease
authority, Statens Serum Institut (SSI), shows that people infected
with BA.1 can get infected with BA.2 shortly afterwards, but that it
is a rare occurrence.
"We provide evidence that Omicron BA.2 reinfections are rare but can
occur relatively shortly after a BA.1 infection," the study authors
said.
BA.1 and BA.2 differ by up to 40 mutations. While BA.2 accounts for
more than 88% of cases in Denmark, cases have started to increase in
the United Kingdom, South Africa and Norway.
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 The reinfections mostly affected young,
unvaccinated individuals and only caused mild
disease, none of which led to hospitalisations
or deaths, the researchers added.
The study, which is not yet peer-reviewed, found
1,739 cases registered between Nov 21, 2021, and
Feb 11 this year, where people had tested
positive twice between 20 and 60 days apart.
In that period more than 1.8 million infections
were registered in Denmark.
From a smaller sample group, the study found 47
instances of BA.2 reinfections shortly after a
BA.1 infection. The researchers also detected
less virus material at the second infection,
suggesting some immunity was developed from the
first infections.
(Reporting by Nikolaj Skydsgaard, Editing by
William Maclean)
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