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John Donne Potter, Professor, Research Centre for Hauora and Health, Massey University

Reinfection will be part of the pandemic for months to come. Each repeat illness raises the risk of long COVID

Pandemic Omicron United States Laura Spinney New Zealand Australia Japan
Shutterstock/Elizaveta Galitckaia

The latest Omicron variant BA.5 is fast becoming dominant worldwide, including in New Zealand and Australia. As it continues to surge, reinfection will become increasingly common and this in turn means more people will develop long COVID.

The two most concerning aspects of long COVID are its high prevalence (up to 30% of those infected) and a link between reinfection and a higher risk of harmful outcomes.

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