Tested Positive for COVID-19 Twice... "'Dominant' Stealth Omicron Has Stronger Transmission Power"

346 Suspected COVID-19 Reinfection Cases Reported
Stealth Omicron Detection Rate at 56.3%

Citizens waiting to be tested at the temporary screening clinic set up in Seoul Station Plaza. / Photo by Asia Economy

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] As the stealth Omicron (BA.2), a subvariant of the COVID-19 Omicron variant, has become the dominant strain in South Korea, concerns about reinfection are growing due to the variant's presumed high transmissibility.

On the 28th, Kwon Deok-cheol, Minister of Health and Welfare, stated in his opening remarks at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting, "The detection rate of stealth Omicron in South Korea reached 56.3% last week, making it the dominant strain."

The BA.2 variant is nicknamed stealth Omicron because it does not appear in some COVID-19 diagnostic tests, and it is known to have a higher transmissibility than the original Omicron variant.

As a result, concerns about reinfection among the public are increasing. According to the quarantine authorities on the 28th, from January 2020 to the 27th of this month, 346 suspected cases of COVID-19 reinfection have been reported. This corresponds to 2.88 cases per 100,000 infected individuals. This figure is not classified by variant type for reinfection.

It is understood that reinfection cases have been increasing this year as Omicron, known for its stronger immune evasion compared to other variants, has spread widely.

So far, the reinfection cases do not represent a particularly dangerous proportion compared to the total cumulative confirmed cases. However, it cannot be ruled out that individuals previously infected with the Delta variant could be infected with Omicron, or those infected with Omicron could be infected with stealth Omicron.

Meanwhile, due to the spread of stealth Omicron, most European countries are experiencing a rebound in the decline of COVID-19 cases. The stealth Omicron share is 83.3% in the UK (as of March 6), 54.0% in Germany (as of March 21), and 52.0% in France (as of March 21).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.