JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Even a full round of vaccinations plus a booster shot on top of natural immunity couldn't keep Jacksonville City Council member Kevin Carrico from getting the COVID-19 virus infection for the second time in a year.
Carrico said Monday he is recovering at home after testing positive. He has not had to get hospital treatment the way he did after his first infection from COVID-19 in February 2021.
He said he hopes to be back "in full swing by the end of the week."
"So far the symptoms are mild, resembling a cold, so my ask is that you pray that they remain that way," Carrico said.
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Mayor Lenny Curry also caught a breakthrough infection this month despite being vaccinated. He recovered at home and returned to work.
COVID-19 vaccinations do not prevent infections but they do reduce the risk that the virus will turn into a life-threatening illness. Carrico said he thinks his symptoms have been mild this time because he got fully vaccinated last year and also obtained a booster shot for holiday travel.
Those who get the infection also have some natural immunity against reinfection, though it is not a lifetime immunity.
Carrico said his wife and his daughters have not caught the virus.
The omicron variant of COVID-19 emerged as the most contagious form of the virus since the pandemic started in early 2020, but overall, it has caused less severe symptoms than the delta variant that was at the root of a summer surge in 2021.