COVID-19 reinfection is over five times more likely with the Omicron variant than the Delta strain, according to a new study.

The highly contagious new variant evades immunity from past infection at a risk 5.4 times greater than Delta, according to a report that reviewed thousands of UK cases.

For the study, Imperial College London’s COVID-19 response team found that protection against the Omicron variant has fallen to a rate of 19 percent among people who have already had the virus.