In South Africa, many people are reinfected with the coronavirus due to the emergence of the Omicron variant.

Scientists say that many more people get the virus a second time than with previous variants.

“Infection protected against the Delta variant, but that does not appear to be the case with the Omicron variant,” researcher Anne von Gottberg said in a World Health Organization (WHO) press conference.

A team from the WHO’s African Department is going to South Africa to assist with source and contact investigations in the affected Gauteng region and monitor developments around the Omicron variant.

South Africa was the first country to adopt the Omicron variant.