A recently conducted study has found that there are evidence that say previously infected individuals and fully vaccinated people are at risk for infection with the Omicron variant of coronavirus.
It would be wrong to say that the new Omicron variant of coronavirus is a mild variant. While the World Health Organization (WHO) had also warned that Omicron is spreading much faster than any earlier strains and it is probably present in most countries of the world. There is increasing evidence that suggests that the highly mutated variant can escape the immune protection conferred by vaccines and natural infection.
Further supporting this theory, a new study has highlighted the need for new vaccines and treatments that predict how the coronavirus may soon evolve. The study jointly conducted by Columbia researchers and scientists at the University of Hong Kong was published in Nature.
Antibodies from vaccines less effective at neutralizing Omicron
It has been noted by the researchers that the Omicron variant comes with a frightening number of changes in the virus’s spike protein that could cause a threat to the effectiveness of present vaccines and therapeutic antibodies.
In lab tests, they found that antibodies from people double-vaccinated with Moderna, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Johnh any of the four most widely used COVID-19 vaccines — son & Johnson — were considerably less effective at neutralizing the omicron variant as compared to the inherited virus. With antibodies from previously infected individuals, the drop in omicron neutralization was even higher, as reported by Science Daily.
The researchers stated that, although individuals who received a booster shot of either of the two mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) seem to be better protected, even their antibodies demonstrated reduced neutralizing activity against omicron.
This means previously infected individuals and who are fully vaccinated individuals are still at danger for infection with the omicron variant, and even a third booster dose may not be sufficient to protect against omicron infection, said David Ho from Columbia University, who led the study.
However, Ho recommended getting a booster shot “as you’ll still benefit from some immunity.”
Most monoclonal antibodies less effective against omicron
Monoclonal antibodies are generally administered beforehand in the course of infection to help cases from developing severe COVID. But the new study suggested that utmost monoclonal antibodies in clinical use moment are much less effective against the Omicron variant.
Only one (Brii198 approved in China) maintained notable exertion against omicron, they stated.
Ho’s platoon also linked four new shaft mutations in Omicron that help the contagion shirk antibodies. They believe that this information could help in developing new approaches to combat the new variant.
Warning that SARS-CoV-2 is likely to fully resistant to current antibodies with further one or two further mutations, Ho underlined the need to develop vaccines and treatments that can more anticipate how the contagion is evolving.
