Omicron may evade antibodies and cause reinfection even if booster shot given

First found in South Africa, the Omicron form slowly creeped in and became the dominant COVID variant in the world. While incidences of the highly transmissible coronavirus are decreasing in India, some countries, notably the United States, are still battling infections. It is also thought to be one of the most altered variants, with the majority of mutations in spike protein, allowing it to elude antibodies.

The COVID-19 Omicron variant is already spreading in populations where people have already been infected with COVID and vaccinated against it. According to reports, even persons who have had the coronavirus vaccine booster dose are becoming infected with the virus.

Omicron Is Affecting Those Vaccinated With Booster Dose

A Lancet study found that preliminary data from South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases shows a decoupling of infection rates from hospitalizations and deaths due to omicron. These findings imply that infection triggers underlying immune responses and that primary and booster vaccines may help to shorten the course of sickness.

Studies have also suggested that “booster doses might enhance protection against Omicron, but studies are underway to fully determine vaccine effectiveness. Given the natural lag between infection and severe outcomes, we await further data on Omicron for the effectiveness of vaccinations in preventing severe disease the key intended outcome of vaccination.”

The WHO recognised SARS-CoV-2 Omicron (B.1.1.529) as a variety of concerns due to its specific mutations that could increase transmissibility, risk of reinfection, or vaccination breakthrough infection, according to the Lancet study. Many of these mutations disrupt the spike protein’s receptor-binding region and N-terminal domain, which could, paradoxically, boost ACE-2 binding while avoiding antibody recognition.

But Vaccination Is Your Best Bet Against COVID

Time and again, experts have emphasized the fact that vaccines are your best bet against coronavirus. While there is agreement on the Omicron’s mild nature and low hospitalization rate, public health experts say that vaccination is the greatest defence going forward and that booster doses for the most vulnerable should be accelerated.

Meanwhile, the cases of COVID-19 are continuously decreasing in India, with fewer deaths and the number of new cases reducing in most parts of the country. Even the world is seeing a massive drop in the number of coronavirus cases. According to reports, the average number of global daily cases has declined for the third week in a row, falling by 22% to 1.97 million after a three-and-a-half-month high.

Over the last seven days, the situation has improved in most parts of the world. The number of daily cases fell by 43 per cent in the US/Canada zone, 35 per cent in the Middle East, 23 per cent in Europe and Latin America/Caribbean, and 22 per cent in Africa. In Asia, the situation remained nearly constant, with a 1 per cent decrease in cases. In Oceania, they increased by the same amount.