11-Year-Old Child Infected With 3 Different COVID-19 Variants In Rare Case

KEY POINTS

Alon Helfgott lives in the central Israel city of Kfar Saba
He has now been infected with the Alpha, Delta and Omicron strains
Helfgott said with Omicron he does not feel as sick as he did with previous strains

An 11-year-old Israeli child has been reportedly infected with three different COVID-19 variants in a relatively rare case.

The case of Alon Helfgott was confirmed Sunday. Helfgott from the central Israel city of Kfar Saba tested positive for the COVID-19 virus recently. His latest report made it official he has now been infected with the Alpha, Delta and Omicron strains.

“I’m fine, feeling pretty healthy, without so many symptoms,” he told Channel 12 news on Sunday, according to The Times of Israel.

While talking to local media, Helfgott revealed as compared to the previous strains, he does not feel that sick after being infected with the Omicron variant. He reportedly experienced pretty serious symptoms the last two times.

“In the Alpha [infection], I suffered from a high fever,” he said.

The exact dates when he tested positive for the three strains were not known.

While he has experience with quarantine, the boredom makes it difficult to cope.

“I miss being with friends, because the truth is there is nothing to do. You’re shuttered at home and do nothing," he said, adding around 10 out of his 27 classmates are also currently ill with COVID-19.

Helfgott said since the start of the school year, he was forced to enter quarantine “between three and four times.”

“I try to pass the time in bed or on the phone. There are really no things to do,” he said, according to Noticias de Israel [Google Translate].

While COVID-19 is known to provide protection against repeated infections, reinfections do occur in some cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The CDC said getting vaccinated as soon as possible, along with consistently and correctly wearing a well-fitting mask, can help protect people from contracting the virus. Maintaining social distancing and avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated indoor spaces can decrease the chances of getting infected. The CDC said their ongoing studies of COVID-19 are helping them understand how often reinfections occur and how soon reinfections take place after a previous infection.

According to the World Health Organization, Israel reported 57,563 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours. Twelve deaths were also reported in the country.