Experts reveal why more people say they are catching Covid for the first time

More Queenslanders say they are contracting Covid for the first time now, as experts warn the fourth wave of infections could peak at Christmas.

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More Queenslanders say they are contracting Covid for the first time as experts warn the fourth wave of infections could peak at Christmas.

According to Queensland’s chief health officer, Dr John Gerrard, 80 per cent of infections in the current wave are people who have not previously tested positive for Covid.

President of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia’s Queensland branch, Chris Owen said the high percentage of first-time Covid cases could be due to the waning effectiveness of initial vaccinations.

“A lot of people could be thinking this is the first time they have been infected, but given the fact we have had vaccinations rolled out to 95 per cent of the population, people may have had Covid before but because of the vaccinations they didn’t quite feel as bad,” Mr Owen said.

“Now it has been some time since those vaccinations, the immunity has probably waned and people are feeling it a little bit more.”

Chief Health Officer Dr John Gerrard. Picture: NewsWire / Sarah Marshall

Mr Owen said while peaks and troughs in pandemics are normal, they tend to weaken over the years.

“There will be a gradual reduction in the severity as more people get antibodies, but there are still going to be outbreaks and peaks, Christmas could be one of them,” he said.

Infectious diseases expert Dr Paul Griffith said for Queenslanders planning end-of-year celebrations there were some steps to help control the spread of Covid during the fourth peak.

“Our case numbers at the moment are fairly unreliable because so many people aren’t getting tested,” Dr Griffith said.

“Be up to date with your vaccine, understand the risks, if you are going into a higher risk setting then mask wearing is still important.

“Even holding events outdoors and making sure there is enough space for people to spread out can certainly reduce the risk of people getting Covid,” he said.

Queensland has recorded 13,632 cases in the past seven days, 320 hospitalisations and 15 deaths.

The state’s traffic light level sits at amber.