People may become reinfected with COVID-19 as multiple variants circulate within the community, warns infectious diseases experts.
Epidemiology chair at Deakin University Professor Catherine Bennett says while the majority of cases in the country are linked to the Omicron variant, people are still being infected with the Delta strain.
Watch the video above to see the difference between Omicron and Delta
She said people who caught COVID-19 linked to one strain could be reinfected with the other strain.
“We know Omicron has higher rates of reinfection, and that was in people who have had Delta,” Professor Bennett told ABC TV.
“Even if Omicron doesn’t reinfect after an infection has cleared, you can still have a Delta infection at a party and still be vulnerable to Omicron, so it is still possible to have a reinfection.”
The warning comes as case numbers continue to surge across the country, including positive results from rapid antigen tests.
Experts have said numbers are stabilising in some jurisdictions, with the Omicron wave expected to peak in late January or early February.
Prof Bennett said it was critical for people to receive their COVID-19 booster shot in order to have the best protection against the new variant.
Even if people have become infected with COVID-19 recently, she said a booster could not wait.
“Really, (you should get your booster) as soon as you are completely well and (the infection) has cleared,” she said.
“There is no reason why you shouldn’t have it. You do want to make sure you are well over the infection, though.”
The case surge has led to widespread shortages of rapid antigen tests.
Further demand is expected for them after isolation rules were changed for essential workers, which will allow them to go back to work even after being labelled as a close contact, provided they test negative to a rapid test.
The federal health department has released a statement refuting claims rapid tests were being redirected to the department.
“The Department of Health reaffirms that the department has not requisitioned all rapid antigen test supplies within and entering Australia,” a spokesman said.
“The department has made purchases in accordance with Commonwealth procurement rules, and has not sought to place itself ahead of other commercial and retail entities.”
It’s expected more than 200 million rapid antigen tests will arrive in the country in coming weeks.
Of those, 80 million have been secured by the federal government, while states and territories have placed orders for 130 million tests.
Heath authorities are hopeful the Omicron COVID-19 outbreak has peaked in several Australian jurisdictions, as the nation reaches a vaccination milestone.
Health Minister Greg Hunt on Saturday announced the nation has reached a 95 per cent first-dose vaccination rate against the virus for those aged 16 and older.
He said the milestone surpassed “almost all possible predictions that were made at the outset of the pandemic”.
“That is often referred to as a full vaccination level but we want to go further, we want to continue to encourage Australians to come forward,” Mr Hunt told reporters.
More than a million vaccines have been delivered in the past three days, which is a record for any immunisation program in Australia’s history, he said.
Some 92.5 per cent of Australians aged 16 and older have had two vaccine doses, while 52.6 per cent had received their booster, including more than 245,000 people on Friday.
More than 250,000 children aged between five and 11 have received their first dose of a vaccine since becoming eligible on Monday, including 57,000 on Friday.
Mr Hunt also flagged a decision on the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine – which is not yet available in Australia – is expected by the Therapeutic Goods Administration “in the coming 10 days”.
About 51 million doses of the protein-based vaccine have been ordered by the federal government.
An announcement on oral treatments for COVID-19 is also imminent, Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said, while the federal advisory panel on vaccines has begun deliberating on the possibility of a second booster shot.
Mr Hunt and Professor Kelly said there were “signs of hope” the outbreaks in the ACT, NSW and Victoria have peaked.
“All predictions, and now the actual forecasting based on actual numbers of cases, particularly in NSW but also in Victoria and ACT, leads me to believe that we are close to the peak of this wave in terms of cases,” the latter said, noting infections are likely to be going under-reported.
However, Professor Kelly said the situation in Western Australia “is another story”.
“When they do start to get cases it will be later on. But for most of the rest of Australia, we are still on that upward curve, we may be plateauing and then there is a downswing of cases after that,” he said.
NSW recorded 48,768 new COVID-19 cases and 20 deaths on Saturday and Victoria registered 25,526 infections and 23 deaths.
Both states announced extensions of their rent relief schemes for small-to-medium-sized small businesses, many of which have been forced to close their doors or reduce operating hours because staff have COVID-19, are close contacts of a positive case, or are awaiting test results.
Queensland recorded 19,709 cases and six deaths, SA 4349 infections and four deaths, ACT 1320 cases and Tasmania 1139.
The NT recorded 412 cases and one death – a woman in her 40s from Darwin’s Bagot community.
The deaths bring the national toll from the virus to 2632, while there are more than 45000 Australians battling the virus in hospital.
Prof Kelly noted there will be a rise in hospitalisations and deaths in the coming weeks but noted the overall rate of severe disease is “extremely low”.
