Coronavirus explainer: Here's how soon you can get reinfected with COVID-19 (and no it's not 12 weeks anymore!)

Reinfection is when a person develops the same illness they recovered from previously. It is the recurrence of an infection by the same causative agent.

In terms of COVID-19, reinfection has become a common phenomenon. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reinfection with the virus that causes COVID-19 means a person was infected, recovered, and then later became infected again.

"After recovering from COVID-19, most individuals will have some protection from repeat infections. However, reinfections do occur after COVID-19," the health agency explains.

Early on in the pandemic, a COVID-recovered individual was said to have at least 6-9 months immunity against the virus. But with the Omicron variant of coronavirus, the duration was reduced to 12 weeks (3 months).

Now, new reports suggest COVID-19 reinfection can occur even sooner!

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According to the latest advice from the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC), people can get reinfected with COVID-19 in just 28 days after recovering from the virus. The previous duration of 12 weeks has therefore been reduced to 4 weeks.

“Given reinfections may occur as early as 28 days after recovery from a previous COVID-19 infection, the AHPPC advises that the reinfection period be reduced from 12 weeks to 28 days,” the official statement read.

Earlier, Andrew Robertson, Chief Health Officer of Western Australia had told news.com.au that he's seeing people get reinfected with COVID-19 in a matter of weeks.

"What we are seeing is an increasing number of people who have been infected with BA2 and then becoming infected (again) after four weeks," he said.

"So maybe six to eight weeks (later) they are developing a second infection, and that's almost certainly either BA4 or BA5," he adds.

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As per the AHPPC, Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 “are associated with increased immune escape and we are likely to see rates of reinfection rise among those who have previously been infected with an earlier Covid-19 variant, and those who are up to date with their vaccinations”.

Furthermore, the pair of subvariants are becoming dominant in many parts of the world. In the US, the CDC has declared BA.4 and BA.5 as dominant, accounting for about 53% of COVID infections in the country.

The World Health Organization's chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Tuesday addressed a news conference stating that the fresh waves of the SARs-CoV-2 virus demonstrate that COVID-19 is "nowhere near over."

Previously, Maria Van Kerkhove, an infectious-disease epidemiologist at the WHO emphasized on curbing the spread of the virus, as reported by the Atlantic.

“We will not prevent all transmission—that is not the goal—but we have to reduce the spread,” she said.

“It’s not over, and we are playing with fire by letting this virus circulate at such intense levels," she added.

Health officer Robertson on Monday said that people, who again develop COVID-19 symptoms more than 28 days after recovering, should get themselves tested and stay isolated until the results are out.

As per the report shared by a spokesman for the WA health department, in the 4 weeks to July 10, 2,545 reinfections had occurred.

NSW chief health officer, Dr Kerry Chant, has also issued a statement: “We’re urging people who have recently had Covid-19, even if they left isolation in the past four weeks, not to be complacent. If you develop symptoms again, make sure to test and isolate.”

In several countries including the UK and the USA, a fourth vaccine dose is now available for administration.

In India however, people are still receiving their third 'precautionary' dose.

Recently, the government reduced the gap for coronavirus booster shots from 9 months to 6 months.

That said, in light of new developments regarding COVID-19 reinfection, experts advise everyone to get their booster shots as soon as possible and as advised by their respective countries.

People who fall under the high risk groups are currently the most at risk of developing a COVID-19 reinfection.

The list includes older adults, people with underlying chronic conditions, immunocompromised people and those receiving advanced treatments. Given that the vulnerable had a poor immune response to their initial infection and vaccination, they're likely to be less protected against another bout of infection.

This is why vigilance is crucial. Wearing masks, maintaining social distance, following proper hand hygiene and getting your booster shots is of utmost importance.