A 90-year-old woman died after becoming infected with two different strains of Covid-19, revealing another risk in the fight against the disease, Belgian researchers found.

In the first peer-reviewed analysis of an infection with multiple strains, scientists found the woman had contracted both the alpha variant, which first surfaced in the U.K., and the beta strain, first found in South Africa. The infections probably came from separate people, according to a report published Saturday and presented at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases.

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“The global occurrence of this phenomenon is probably underestimated due to limited testing for variants of concern and the lack of a simple way to identify co-infections with whole genome sequencing,” said Anne Vankeerberghen, the lead author of the study and a molecular biologist from OLV Hospital in Aalst, Belgium. “Being alert to co-infections remains crucial.”

Such instances also raise questions over how much protection vaccines can provide. With the rapidly spreading delta variant now the dominant strain in many places, including the U.K., drugmakers are rushing to test their shots against variants and create new versions that could provide a better defense. Countries are also mulling whether to offer booster shots this winter to guard against diminishing responses from vaccines.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news...highlights-next-risk

I feel like there are two separate stories here. One, co-infection. This 90 yaar old woman had two strains of covid, and she died. She was unvaccinated.

Two, we might need boosters, for both a variant, and for diminishing effectivenss (which they don’t know about, yet).

quote:

Two, we might need boosters, for both a variant, and for diminishing effectivenss (which they don’t know about, yet).

And three, doesn't this mean it's mistake to rush to say "no you don't have to mask anymore if you've been vaccinated"?!!

Yikes.

I myself will continue to wear a mask and will get tested if I have symptoms.

Masks back on in Israel...

https://youtu.be/iP679HeBAbI

Infection rate is ticking up ever so slightly in Chicago. I'll keep a close eye on this...

Today I tuned at a church where they have a new music director. He came from a church that opened up as early as was possible. He told me he has had COVID twice and knows people that have had it 3 times?!?

Yikes...

I doubt any of them got tested in between to know that they had cleared the virus and then re-contracted it.

I have a feeling that those folks are more like long haulers and have just experienced waxing and waning of symptoms from an initial infection.