Masking still a choice, but risk of COVID-19 reinfection is real, says Russell

Three months after COVID-19 restrictions were liftedin New Brunswick, masks are becoming an increasingly rare sight in both indoor and outdoor public spaces.

Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Jennifer Russell says her adviceon masking hasn't changed.

"I continue to recommend that again, if you want to decrease your risks,then you can wear a mask. It's your choice."

But Russell did say people need to be aware they can be reinfected.

"We are seeing reinfections. Not a lot, but we are seeing reinfections, because it is physically possible to get reinfected with COVID, there's no question," she said.

Russell cited the example ofPrime Minister Justin Trudeau, who is fully vaccinated and has tested positive for the second time this year. Trudeau previously tested positive in January.

"The risk is never zero," she stressed.

"Some people think that window is higher after the three-month mark, but it is possible to get reinfected even within that three months."

At least 11 Omicron subvariants

There areat least 11 Omicron subvariantsin New Brunswick now, includingBA.4 and BA.5, which the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control upgraded last month to variants of concern.

The European agency saidthegrowth of BA.4 and BA.5is "likely due to their ability to evade immune protection induced by prior infection and/or vaccination, particularly if this has waned over time."

There is currently no indication they are more severe than previous Omicron subvariants, it said.

The Omicron subvariants confirmed in New Brunswick include:

• BA.1.1
• BA.2
• BA.2.12.1
• BA.2.3
• BA.2.3.1
• BA.2.3.4
• BA.2.31
• BA.2.38
• BA.2.9
• BA.4
• BA.5

People choose to mask or not based on a variety of factors, such aswhether they've had COVID, or it's been more than three months since they've had COVID, whether they're vaccinated or not, and whether they have people at home who are immunocompromised or who can't get vaccinated, said Russell.

"So everybody will have many different reasons for that. And obviously, that is a personal choice."

She recently attended a concert at theAvenir Centre in Moncton and wore a mask, she said.

"I was surrounded by many people, and I wouldn't know their vaccination status or their risk factors for COVID or symptoms or anything.

"So everybody has to use their judgment in terms of where they're going and in different spaces and environments."

The risk of transmissiontends to decrease in the summer when more people spend more time outdoors, physically distanced, and increase again in the fall, said Russell.

"I don't think that trend is going to change at the moment, she said. "But, you know, we always have to be prepared for whatever COVID decides to throw at us."