CHICAGO — For people who contracted COVID-19 during earlier omicron surges, doctors have some unwelcome news: You are again susceptible to catching the virus.
Two new variants of the virus appear to more easily evade immune protection from prior infections, meaning even some who have recovered from a case of COVID-19 in recent months may become a clean slate for the virus. The vaccines still remain effective in largely preventing hospitalizations and death, doctors say.
The variants in the omicron family, BA.5 and BA.4, together are now the dominant strains in Illinois and across the country, according to medical experts and data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
