Could I catch Omicron?

[Octopus37]

Apologies in advance if I'm asking stupid questions.

I (as did my other three family members) had tested positive for Covid on 21st/22nd October. I had been double vaccinated. I am due to have my booster on 30th December.

I went to see some friends on 22nd December and one of them tested positive for Covid on Christmas Eve. Is there any way that I could catch it and pass it on or even pass it on. I'm meant to be seeing a friend tomorrow, but may cancel just in case cause she works at a GP surgery and there are lots of staff off, obviously I don't want to put her at risk.

I have gone about my business as usual (obviously wearing a mask when needed) the last few weeks as I have been under the impression that I cannot catch or pass on Covid at the moment. What do others think?

A friend of mine has just tested positive for covid again after having it 4 months ago. It seems he has caught two different variants.

If you had delta variant last time, you can get the omicron variant.

Ok thanks, just didn't think it could happen that quickly. Will let my friend know and see what she wants to do.

Apparently so, having delta doesn’t make you amine to omicron but the vaccine/booster helps. I would still go but take a LFT first.

One of the notable features of Omicron is that it is much better at reinfecting people who have previously had other variants of Covid.

Delta only gives you 20% protection against symptomatic infection with Omicron (as compared to someone who has never had any variety of Covid)

And 2 vaccines only give a small amount of protection. Whereas 3 doses give 80%+ protection.

In all cases, protection against hospitalisation and death is substantially higher than against symptomatic infection.

Have I read that right that previously having delta makes it more likely to catch omicron than someone who has never had covid?

I would say it's entirely possible to catch another strain despite having had COVID recently. According to the guidance as you saw them in the 48 hours before they tested positive then you should do a PCR test (although you don't need to isolate until the result comes back unless you have symptoms) and I would try to limit social contacts as well incase you are incubating it.

I'm going to talk to my friend and do a LFT. Thanks, bloody depressing, meant to be seeing another friend on Tuesday as well. Luckily I haven't mixed with anyone who's vulnerable

@OriginalM

Have I read that right that previously having delta makes it more likely to catch omicron than someone who has never had covid?

No, I can't possibly see how having Delta would make you more likely to get Covid than if you've never had it?!

By Covid, I mean Omicron.

@OriginalM

Have I read that right that previously having delta makes it more likely to catch omicron than someone who has never had covid?

Not true.

DP tested positive yesterday for the third time this year so anything's possible

A mum at school has had it 3 times this year 🙈 the third time she ended up in hospital, she was really not so well. She had severe vomiting to the point she was severely dehydrated 😬

I was feeling quite confident post Delta that I’d be OK for a few months but now not so much! I am boosted so fingers crossed!

Dh had delta at the start of October so I’m assuming it’s omicrom he has now

Yes! And now you're a close contact of someone with Covid so yes, you could have caught it again.

You can catch omicron easier regardless of if you had delta or not.

If you catch covid it's more likely to be omicron if you've been infected in the past, or if vaccinated. If you have no immunity either from previous infection or jab, you're more likely to get delta.

This is obviously just an anecdote, but I had what must have been delta in mid October. I was exposed to covid at least three times(probably omicron as two were in London) between 15th and 23rd December, and haven’t caught it yet (no symptoms and negative lateral flows).

If I get the faintest sniffle I’ll get a pcr, but really hoping my booster 4 weeks ago and the infection in Oct have protected me this time. The exposure on the 23rd was prolonged/indoors though so I’m still a bit on edge!

Yes. It might not make you very ill, as your immune system is already on the alert but you can still pass it on.

Bear in mind I said "might not" rather than "won't".

@OriginalM

Have I read that right that previously having delta makes it more likely to catch omicron than someone who has never had covid?

If I've understood my reading correctly, that's an easy-to-make misreading of a recent stat which was poorly explained at the time.

The discovery was (IIRC) that if you have Covid now and had previously had Covid then the odds are that what you have is Omicron. Whereas if you have Covid now for the first time then it's a toss-up whether you have Omicron or Delta. It's just another way of saying that prior infection protects you pretty well against Delta but poorly against Omicron.

I'm in the same position as you OP, but boosted at the beginning of December. I'm assuming I would be able to catch and pass on Omicron but almost certainly wouldn't get seriously ill.

I had Covid in October, didn't think you could catch it so soon after again, I have headaches, sore throat, runny nose and cough, just assumed it was a cold 😬

I had covid early October...my antibody test said I had antibodies from being double jabbed but also from a previous infection.

You can still get it if you're double jabbed, booster & have had it previously.

Thanks for everyone's advice. I did a LFT this morning, negative, will keep doing them and tell the couple of people I was going to see over the next few days.