Covid-19 reinfection: How quickly can you catch the disease if you have already had it?

Since omicron became the dominant coronavirus variant, reinfections are on the rise – but it is unclear how long people can expect to be protected between bouts of covid-19

By Clare Wilson

As the omicron variant of the coronavirus continues to spread, many people who have already contracted the virus once are picking it up again. But a key question remains unresolved: for how long after a covid-19 infection are people likely to be protected from reinfection?

A lot hinges on the answer, as new omicron subvariants called BA.4 and BA.5 are on the rise in South Africa. It is still unclear if this will …