The state health department is now reporting reinfections on its COVID dashboard. On Friday there are 48, 717 reinfections in Louisiana, and 1,375 cases were added to the total amount today. State Health Officer Dr. Joe Kanter said the state is following the CDC’s definition.
“We consider a reinfection anyone who has a positive test for COVID and then a subsequent positive test at least 90 days after that test, that meets our definition of a reinfection,” said Kanter.
Reinfections are also included in the total case count which surpassed one million this week since the pandemic began. Kanter said they’ve been tracking reinfections since they started but Omicron caused reinfections to surge.
“And we have increased the number of reinfections that we’re seeing about six times from what we saw in our Delta surge. This speaks primarily for the need for boosters,” said Kanter.
Kanter said studies show Omicron evades the protection of just the two-dose mRNA vaccines, but once you are boosted it brings you to the level of protection you had with Delta.
“So, boosters are so important, so important against Omicron and that’s one of the reasons why we are seeing so many reinfections,” said Kanter.
Boosters are advised for ages 12 and up, at least five months after the second dose of either the Pfizer of Moderna vaccines and at least two months after a Johnson and Johnson vaccine.
To view the LDH’s dashboard click here.
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