The patient falls ill with Covid twice within 20 days, as scientists warn of a renewed risk of infection

A 31-year-old woman contracted the Delta variant in less than three weeks, followed by the Omicron variant. Omicron is now the dominant variant in most parts of the world

A patient has contracted Covid-19 twice in 20 days as scientists warn of the risk of reinfection with the virus omicron Variant.

The 31-year-old woman contracted the Delta variant, followed by the Omicron variant in less than three weeks – the shortest gap ever recorded for the virus.

The case study was released with a warning that even people who have been vaccinated have been vaccinated Covid-19 “cannot assume that they are protected from reinfection”.

The health worker from Spain became infected in December about 12 days after receiving her third Covid booster dose of the vaccine.

Research by the Office for National Statistics suggests that the risk of re-infection is 10 times greater for the Omicron variant compared to the Delta variant.

Omicron is now the dominant variant in most parts of the world.

The author of the case study, Dr. Gemma Recio, from the Institut Catala de la Salut, said: “This case underscores the potential of the Omicron variant to evade previous immunity acquired either through natural infection with other variants or through vaccines.

“In other words, people who have been through Covid-19 cannot assume that they will be protected from re-infection even if they have been fully vaccinated.

“Nevertheless, both previous infection with other variants and vaccination in patients with Omicron appear to partially protect against serious illness and hospitalization.

“This case also underscores the need to perform genomic surveillance of viruses in infections in fully vaccinated individuals and in reinfections.

“Such monitoring will help identify variants with the ability to partially evade the immune response.”

The patient, who was not named, first tested positive on December 20 during a personal PCR screening at her workplace.

The woman developed no symptoms, self-isolated for 10 days and returned to work.

But on January 10 – just 20 days later – she developed a cough, fever and general malaise. Another PCR test was also positive.

Her samples then underwent full genome sequencing, which showed she had been infected with Delta and then Omicron.

dr Recio will present the case study at a meeting of the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in Lisbon

It comes as Covid-19 rates are rising in India, where experts are predicting the next dangerous new Covid-19 variant could be emerging.