Omicron: Vaccines May Partially Work Against New Variant, Ex-ICMR Scientist Dr Gangakhedkar Says
3 years, 1 month ago

Omicron: Vaccines May Partially Work Against New Variant, Ex-ICMR Scientist Dr Gangakhedkar Says

News 18  

Amid growing concerns over Omicron, former Indian Council of Medical Research scientist Dr Raman Gangakhedkar told News18 that vaccines may provide only partial protection against the new ‘heavily mutated’ variant of SARS-CoV-2. “Everyone must make efforts to protect themselves against the virus and not provide an opportunity for the virus to enter, replicate and thus mutate further inside their body.” Each time the virus reproduces, it involves a risk of producing more faulty copies that have mutations, he said while insisting that “Indians must take both doses of vaccine as an urgency.” A new coronavirus variant — B.1.1.529, officially named Omicron by the World Health Organisation — is known to carry 50 mutations overall, including more than 30 on the spike protein alone. “But here spike proteins are different which may reduce the effectiveness of vaccines and vaccines may provide partial protection.” Changes in Spike Protein May Ease Monitoring While there is a fear related to the changes in spike protein as the mutations are “large in number”, Gangakhedkar, who retired from ICMR last June said “the surveillance benefit is the difference between Omicron and other variants can be spotted from the RT-PCR test itself. Hence only 2 out of three genes will be positive,” he explained while adding that “all the positive samples where only 2 genes are found should be sent for genome sequencing instead of sending all samples.” The new strain has been red-flagged by scientists due to an alarmingly high number of mutations, expecting that the heavy mutations might make the virus more resistant to vaccines, increase transmissibility and lead to more severe symptoms.

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History of this topic

Does frequently updating COVID-19 vaccines have any benefits? | Explained
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Does frequently updating COVID-19 vaccines have any benefits? | Explained

The Hindu  

Researchers update the composition of influenza vaccines every six months to match the strains of the virus that are circulating in the wild, so that the shots may provide protective immunity against the flu. The VE of COVID-19 vaccines varies according to the disease’s progression as well as the circulating strains. Thus, researchers worldwide rushed to revise COVID-19 vaccines that …

Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 virus continues to exist in community, say public health experts
11 months ago

Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 virus continues to exist in community, say public health experts

The Hindu  

The Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant, one of the mutated version of the virus that causes COVID-19, has been continuously mutating and exists in the community even after over a year. Public health experts have conducted a genomic surveillance of Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant and its sub lineages in the State to understand the mutational patterns of the virus between December 2021 and …

‘Just like Omicron…’: Why are scientists paying more attention to new Covid variant?
1 year, 4 months ago

‘Just like Omicron…’: Why are scientists paying more attention to new Covid variant?

Hindustan Times  

Is the highly-mutated new variant of coronavirus, BA.2.86, a matter of global concern? NEXU Science Communication/File Photo Much like Omicron, BA.2.86, which is causing spike in Covid cases in the US, UK and other countries, carries numerous changes in its spike protein. According to Nature, several scientists believe that the emergence of this new variant won't create a wave like …

First Omicron-specific mRNA vaccine from India approved by regulators
1 year, 6 months ago

First Omicron-specific mRNA vaccine from India approved by regulators

The Hindu  

India’s first indigenous mRNA vaccine for the Omicron variant, GEMCOVAC-OM, developed by Pune-based Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Ltd, was approved under emergency use guidelines by the Drug Controller General of India late Monday. Gennova CEO Sanjay Singh said that by the time his company got regulatory approvals for GEMCOVAC-19, the demand for primary doses was largely met by other vaccines, however there …

Omicron variants evolve strategies to evade T cell immunity
1 year, 8 months ago

Omicron variants evolve strategies to evade T cell immunity

The Hindu  

Much like many other viruses that have developed strategies to evade T cell-mediated clearance by humans, SARS-CoV-2 virus too has the ability to evade the CD8 T cells. But the authors found that the Omicron subvariants had a “superior capacity” to suppress MHC I levels on the surface of the cells infected by the virus compared with the ancestral strain …

All about XBB.1.16, new Omicron variant behind India's Covid-19 spike, from symptoms to risk factors
1 year, 9 months ago

All about XBB.1.16, new Omicron variant behind India's Covid-19 spike, from symptoms to risk factors

Hindustan Times  

XBB.1.16, the new Omicron variant that is leading to rise in number of Covid-19 cases across the country, especially in Maharashtra has become a cause of concern for people. The subvariant has mutations on the amino acids and nucleotide space that gives it the capacity to escape hybrid immunity achieved by vaccination and previous exposure to the virus," says Dr …

Protein-based booster shots help fight Omicron
1 year, 10 months ago

Protein-based booster shots help fight Omicron

China Daily  

A woman receives a booster dose in Chaoyang district of Beijing on July 13, 2022. China has recently rolled out two protein-based COVID-19 vaccines to serve as booster shots against Omicron subvariants, bringing new weapons to China's fight against mutated strains of the virus. The two vaccines are also recommended as a booster for those inoculated with three inactivated vaccines, …

Sinopharm's mRNA Omicron vaccine gets greenlight for trials
1 year, 11 months ago

Sinopharm's mRNA Omicron vaccine gets greenlight for trials

China Daily  

China National Biotec Group, a subsidiary of China National Pharmaceutical Group Co Ltd, announced on Friday that its biotech unit in Shanghai has received regulatory approval for clinical trials of China's first mRNA COVID-19 vaccine targeting the Omicron strains. The approval for Omicron-specific mRNA vaccine clinical trials, granted by the State Drug Administration on Thursday, is a "milestone" in the …

Sooner or later, India has to develop Omicron-based boosters
2 years ago

Sooner or later, India has to develop Omicron-based boosters

The Hindu  

Three years after the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in Wuhan, China is witnessing a very high number of daily fresh infections after abruptly abandoning the zero-COVID strategy, leading to hospitals getting overwhelmed and crematoriums struggling to cope up with a large influx of bodies. “We can infer that the vulnerable, like the rest of the country, may have been widely infected, but …

Can Your Vaccine Protect You Against BF.7? India Isolates New Strain, Begins Study to Test Efficacy
2 years ago

Can Your Vaccine Protect You Against BF.7? India Isolates New Strain, Begins Study to Test Efficacy

News 18  

A sample of SARS-CoV-2 virus containing the BF.7, a sub-lineage of the Omicron variant, has successfully been isolated by India to assess the efficacy of available vaccines. “Scientists are studying whether the currently available vaccines are effective in preventing infections or serious illness caused by the new sub-variant,” a source was quoted as saying. India has reported at least four …

Omicron BF.7: Is mixing Covid vaccines more effective against the new subvariant? What experts say
2 years ago

Omicron BF.7: Is mixing Covid vaccines more effective against the new subvariant? What experts say

Hindustan Times  

Amid rising cases of Omicron BF.7 in China and other parts of the world, there has been concerns of a fresh wave triggered by the subvariant in India in the coming months. However, mixing the vaccines has no side effects rather it can boost the immunity and give multiple ways to our immune system to identify the offending virus and …

New Omicron sub-variant is mild: Doctors
2 years ago

New Omicron sub-variant is mild: Doctors

Deccan Chronicle  

HYDERABAD: The Omicron sub-variant BF.7 wave will be milder than those caused by previous variants, according to city doctors, and there is no cause to fear with people having developed strong immunity both due to the Covid vaccine and numerous variants spreading in communities. Given the threat of the new variant that is quickly spreading in China and its projected …

BF.7 variant of COVID-19 not worrisome for India, assures senior scientist Rakesh Mishra
2 years ago

BF.7 variant of COVID-19 not worrisome for India, assures senior scientist Rakesh Mishra

The Hindu  

Allaying fears about BF.7 variant of coronavirus, a prominent scientist on December 23 said it is a sub-variant of Omicron strain and that India need not worry too much about its severity on the population. The former director of CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology further said China has been witnessing an unprecedented surge in COVID-19 cases as the neighbouring …

Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 can evade immunity provided by vaccines: ICMR study
2 years, 2 months ago

Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 can evade immunity provided by vaccines: ICMR study

The Hindu  

Omicron, a variant of SARS-CoV-2, can evade immunity provided by vaccines, states a new study published by the Indian Council of Medical Research. Titled ‘Omicron BA.2 lineage predominance in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 positive cases during the third wave in North India’, the study was published on November 2 in Frontiers in Medicine, a peer-reviewed open access medical …

New Omicron Variants Not Causing Significant Rise in Hospitalisations, Say Experts
2 years, 2 months ago

New Omicron Variants Not Causing Significant Rise in Hospitalisations, Say Experts

News 18  

The new variants of Omicron, XXB and BQ.1, have not led to any significant rise in coronavirus infections and hospitalisations in Maharashtra, experts have said. Dr Anita Mathew, Infectious Disease Specialist at Fortis Hospital, Mulund, said many of the new patients are asymptomatic. The department had also cautioned that coronavirus cases could rise during winter and the festive season, citing …

New Omicron sub-variants: 5 ways mild Covid infections are affecting our health
2 years, 2 months ago

New Omicron sub-variants: 5 ways mild Covid infections are affecting our health

Hindustan Times  

New Omicron sub-variants are spreading across the world rapidly but the panic associated with Covid-19 is comparatively less compared to a year back considering the symptoms associated with Omicron have largely been mild. Omicron XBB the latest variant with its immune-evasive properties can dodge host's immune response and is highly infectious but it causes only mild symptoms in those vaccinated. …

New Subvariant Of Omicron Found To Escape Most Antibodies: Study In Lancet
2 years, 2 months ago

New Subvariant Of Omicron Found To Escape Most Antibodies: Study In Lancet

ABP News  

Omicron sublineage BA.2.75.2 escapes most antibodies, a study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal says. Bivalent Covid-19 vaccines include a component of the original virus strain to provide broad protection against Covid-19 and a component of the Omicron variant to provide better protection against Covid-19 caused by the Omicron variant, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Time points …

CDC Recommends Updated COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters Targeting Omicron Strains
2 years, 4 months ago

CDC Recommends Updated COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters Targeting Omicron Strains

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING New COVID-19 boosters that target today’s most common omicron strains are set to begin soon after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorsed the updated shots Thursday. The decision by CDC Director Rochelle Walensky came shortly after the agency’s advisers said if enough people roll up their sleeves, the shots could blunt a winter surge. The …

EMA approves updated Pfizer, Moderna Covid vaccines to fight Omicron variant
2 years, 4 months ago

EMA approves updated Pfizer, Moderna Covid vaccines to fight Omicron variant

NL Times  

The European Medicines Agency gave a positive recommendation to authorize the modified versions of the Covid-19 vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, which should provide better protect against the Omicron variant of the virus, the European Union's medicines watchdog said on Thursday. The committee judged that the modified vaccines provide a strong immune response against both the original variant, and the …

Omicron infections provide protection against new COVID-19 variants, says study
2 years, 4 months ago

Omicron infections provide protection against new COVID-19 variants, says study

India TV News  

Vaccinated people who were infected by the earlier Omicron subvariants have four times greater protection than vaccinated people who were not infected against the new variants like BA.5, finds a new study. The study indicates that previous infection in vaccinated people continues to confer immunity for the variants that are known for their ability to evade the immune response. "Vaccinated …

U.S. authorizes updated COVID-19 boosters targeting newest variants
2 years, 4 months ago

U.S. authorizes updated COVID-19 boosters targeting newest variants

LA Times  

The U.S. on Wednesday authorized its first update to COVID-19 vaccines, booster doses that target today’s most common Omicron strains. “Give a clear, forward-looking set of expectations.” Here’s the rub: The original vaccines still offer strong protection against severe disease and death from COVID-19 for most generally healthy people, especially if they got that important first booster dose. First, FDA …

US approves updated COVID boosters targeting Omicron variants
2 years, 4 months ago

US approves updated COVID boosters targeting Omicron variants

Al Jazeera  

Drugmaker Pfizer said it has doses ready to ship and can deliver up to 15 million shots by the end of next week. The United States has authorised booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccines that target the most common Omicron strain, and shots could be available within days. “You’ll see me at the front of the line,” FDA vaccine chief …

Tackling the new variants
2 years, 4 months ago

Tackling the new variants

Hindustan Times  

The first redesigned coronavirus vaccine was approved for use this week when authorities in the United Kingdom cleared a Moderna dose that the company adapted to create immunity against the Omicron variant. The vaccine is a 50-50 formulation of Moderna’s 2020 product, designed on the Sars-CoV-2 variant that first spread around the world, and of a new dose developed using …

How Omicron's BA.5 became a master of disguise, and what it means for COVID-19 surge
2 years, 5 months ago

How Omicron's BA.5 became a master of disguise, and what it means for COVID-19 surge

Firstpost  

BA.5 will not be the endgame. As the virus continues to circulate, this evolutionary trend will likely lead to the emergence of more transmissible variants that are capable of immune escape The omicron subvariant known as BA.5 was first detected in South Africa in February 2022 and spread rapidly throughout the world. Soon after researchers in South Africa reported the …

Novel COVID-19 vaccine offers superior protection against Omicron variants
2 years, 5 months ago

Novel COVID-19 vaccine offers superior protection against Omicron variants

Firstpost  

The vaccine, called Omnivax, increases neutralising antibody response against the BA.1 and BA.2.12.1 Omicron subvariants in pre-immunised mice 19-fold and eight-fold, respectively, compared with standard mRNA vaccines Washington: Scientists in the US have developed a new COVID-19 vaccine that offers superior immune protection against two viral subvariants of Omicron than standard mRNA shots. The vaccine, called Omnivax, increased neutralising antibody …

Yet another highly infectious Omicron variant is raising concerns in India and beyond
2 years, 5 months ago

Yet another highly infectious Omicron variant is raising concerns in India and beyond

LA Times  

The quickly changing coronavirus has spawned yet another super-contagious Omicron mutant that’s worrying scientists as it gains ground in India and pops up in numerous other countries, including the United States. “It’s still really early on for us to draw too many conclusions,” said Matthew Binnicker, director of clinical virology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. “But it does …

Can new Omicron subvariants evade vaccine immunity?
2 years, 6 months ago

Can new Omicron subvariants evade vaccine immunity?

Al Jazeera  

Dr Khan on why COVID cases are rising and what we know about how past infections and vaccines interact with Omicron BA.4 and BA.5. The uptick in new COVID cases and hospital admissions is thought to be driven largely by new subvariants of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, known as BA.4 and BA.5. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and …

Tweaked COVID boosters in US must target newer omicron types
2 years, 6 months ago

Tweaked COVID boosters in US must target newer omicron types

Associated Press  

U.S. regulators told COVID-19 vaccine makers Thursday that any booster shots tweaked for the fall will have to add protection against the newest omicron relatives. And the current Pfizer and Moderna vaccines still offer strong protection against COVID-19’s worst outcomes as long as people have gotten already recommended boosters. The FDA’s decision comes after its scientific advisers earlier this week …

Being ‘fully vaccinated’ but not boosted doesn’t help against Omicron, study finds
2 years, 6 months ago

Being ‘fully vaccinated’ but not boosted doesn’t help against Omicron, study finds

LA Times  

Two shots of COVID-19 vaccine without an additional booster offer essentially no lasting protection against infection with Omicron, and a coronavirus infection is as effective as a recent booster shot in preventing a new Omicron-fueled illness, researchers reported Wednesday. It is “essentially a new virus.” The passage of time since the last boost of immunity from either an infection or …

Moderna says its updated COVID vaccine boosts protection against Omicron
2 years, 7 months ago

Moderna says its updated COVID vaccine boosts protection against Omicron

LA Times  

Moderna is among the COVID-19 vaccine makers studying updated boosters that can better protect people against future coronavirus surges. Moderna’s experimental COVID-19 vaccine that combines its original shot with protection specifically targeted against the Omicron variant appears to work, the company said Wednesday. COVID-19 vaccine makers are studying updated boosters that might be offered in the fall to better protect …

COVID mRNA vaccines can be quickly updated for new variants. So, where's my Omicron booster?
2 years, 7 months ago

COVID mRNA vaccines can be quickly updated for new variants. So, where's my Omicron booster?

ABC  

Since Omicron was declared a variant of concern at the end of November, it quickly swept the globe, becoming the dominant COVID variant in many countries including Australia. The process of tailoring mRNA vaccines for new variants is "very straightforward", says Archa Fox, an RNA biologist at the University of Western Australia. "Only about 10-20 per cent of antibodies bind …

Recombinant COVID variants: What is Omicron XE?
2 years, 8 months ago

Recombinant COVID variants: What is Omicron XE?

Al Jazeera  

Dr Khan on how new ‘hybrid’ sub-variants of COVID form, and what benefits a third dose of the mRNA vaccine provides. This is thought to have been the case in the UK with the discovery of Omicron XE; a recombinant virus made up of the BA.1 and BA.2 sub-variants of Omicron. Update: Memory B cells persist after third COVID vaccine …

Worth A Shot: mRNA Boosters Give More Protection against Serious Consequence of Omicron, Says Study
2 years, 8 months ago

Worth A Shot: mRNA Boosters Give More Protection against Serious Consequence of Omicron, Says Study

News 18  

As the roll-out of the Covid vaccine booster shots slowly gathers pace across the country, a new study has strengthened evidence that people who received the third dose of an mRNA vaccine are much better protected from any severe illness that could be caused by the newly-emerging strains including Omicron. The findings of the latest study published in the peer-reviewed …

Covishield Has Least Neutralizing Power against Omicron’s BA.1 Variant, Boosters Needed: NIV Study
2 years, 8 months ago

Covishield Has Least Neutralizing Power against Omicron’s BA.1 Variant, Boosters Needed: NIV Study

News 18  

Covishield recipients with no history of Covid have shown the least neutralizing power against Omicron’s BA.1 variant, a study conducted by the ICMR-National Institute of Virology have found, indicating need for booster shots. Breakthrough cases jabbed with Covishield, however, had highest neutralizing antibodies against all variants studied, than recovered and Covid-naïve vaccinated individuals,” an ICMR scientist told The Times of …

What do we know about “stealth omicron” so far?
2 years, 8 months ago

What do we know about “stealth omicron” so far?

Associated Press  

What do we know about “stealth omicron” so far? It was given the “stealth” nickname because it looks like the earlier delta variant on certain PCR tests, says Kristen Coleman at the University of Maryland School of Public Health. In rare cases, early research indicates BA.2 can infect people even if they’ve already had an omicron infection. Health officials also …

New Covid Vaccine from Austria Could Protect Against Omicron Variant, Says Study
2 years, 9 months ago

New Covid Vaccine from Austria Could Protect Against Omicron Variant, Says Study

News 18  

A new vaccine being developed by scientists in Austria is effective against all SARS-CoV-2 variants known to date, including Omicron, even in those who have not yet built up any immunity as a result of immunization, according to the preclinical data. The antigen-based vaccine developed at MedUni Vienna targets the receptor-binding domains of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and induced a robust …

Another booster? A vaccine for omicron? Here's what could be next for COVID vaccines
2 years, 9 months ago

Another booster? A vaccine for omicron? Here's what could be next for COVID vaccines

NPR  

A vaccine for omicron? Here's what could be next for COVID vaccines Enlarge this image toggle caption Dinendra Haria/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Dinendra Haria/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Most vaccinated people will probably require yet another COVID-19 vaccine booster shot in the fall, a top Food and Drug Administration official said Monday. Sponsor Message "We could basically wait until …

China makes progress in developing vaccines against Omicron variant
2 years, 9 months ago

China makes progress in developing vaccines against Omicron variant

China Daily  

Xinhua| Updated :2022-03-21 BEIJING - Positive progress has been made in the development of monovalent and multivalent vaccines against the Omicron variants, a senior Chinese health official told a press conference on Saturday. Pre-clinical studies for some vaccines have been completed, with applications for clinical trials in progress, said Zheng Zhongwei, an official with the National Health Commission. "Studies show …

Study reveals likely reason for ‘stealth’ Omicron’s recent success
2 years, 9 months ago

Study reveals likely reason for ‘stealth’ Omicron’s recent success

LA Times  

COVID-19 vaccines are holding up against “stealth” Omicron almost as well as they do against the original version of the variant, a new study finds. It’s based on the team’s finding that the virus, whose official name is BA.2, is only slightly better than the dominant BA.1 at evading the protective effects of COVID-19 vaccines. We were really talking about …

Variants do not always evolve to become less virulent
2 years, 10 months ago

Variants do not always evolve to become less virulent

The Hindu  

In early February, World Health Organization technical lead on Covid-19, Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, cautioned that the pandemic is far from over and new variants will emerge and such variants could be more transmissible than the Omicron BA.2 variant. Even though the Omicron variant caused a large number of infections in virus-naïve people and in those who have been previously …

Op-Ed: Will the next coronavirus variant escape our best immune defenses?
2 years, 10 months ago

Op-Ed: Will the next coronavirus variant escape our best immune defenses?

LA Times  

An image of the coronavirus, shown as orange, emerging from the surface of cells, in green, cultured in a lab. Studies show that the strength of our long-lived T-cell response to the virus’ proteins — especially by T cells that recognize the spike protein — strongly correlates with the degree of protection. Rather, T-cell recognition occurs when a viral protein …

As ‘stealth omicron’ advances, scientists are learning more
2 years, 10 months ago

As ‘stealth omicron’ advances, scientists are learning more

Associated Press  

The coronavirus mutant widely known as “stealth omicron” is now causing more than a third of new omicron cases around the world, but scientists still don’t know how it could affect the future of the pandemic. Early research suggests it spreads faster than the original omicron and in rare cases can sicken people even if they’ve already had an omicron …

Covid vaccine efficacy limited against Omicron, says study
2 years, 10 months ago

Covid vaccine efficacy limited against Omicron, says study

India Today  

People who are double-vaccinated and those who have recovered from infection by previous strains of the SARS-CoV-2 virus have virtually no antibody protection against the Omicron variant, according to a study. Read: Very small blood clot risk after first AstraZeneca Covid shot, say UK studies They adapted for Omicron a test developed for the previous variants, which investigates whether the …

Op-Ed: The pandemic isn’t over. Omicron won’t be the last coronavirus variant to haunt us
2 years, 10 months ago

Op-Ed: The pandemic isn’t over. Omicron won’t be the last coronavirus variant to haunt us

LA Times  

Think back to late June 2021, when there was containment of the American COVID-19 pandemic with fewer than 12,000 new cases a day and a total of 15,000 patients in the hospital. A major surge ensued, which was followed by yet another one with the Omicron variant, peaking with nearly 160,000 people hospitalized and almost 2,700 deaths per day — …

New Covid variants complicate the question of vaccine mandates
2 years, 10 months ago

New Covid variants complicate the question of vaccine mandates

Hindustan Times  

Post-infection immunity might be a strange topic for political strife, but it touches on Covid vaccine mandates and whether those who’ve had the virus should be exempt. “But I think it’s more nuanced now, and a lot of people think natural immunity gives you a substantial level of protection.” But how much protection, compared to vaccination? “That’s not clear.” Barouch …

Pandemic is not yet over as virus is all around us: TIGS Director Rakesh Mishra
2 years, 10 months ago

Pandemic is not yet over as virus is all around us: TIGS Director Rakesh Mishra

The Hindu  

The COVID-19 pandemic is not over yet and “if we don’t do anything, we might get another wave through a new variant, which is likely to be highly infectious and cause severe clinical impacts”, warn scientists. If we allow ourselves to be infected by disregarding safety protocols or not taking the vaccine, we will be effectively helping new and, possibly, …

Booster does up protection against Omicron to 68%: RIVM research
2 years, 11 months ago

Booster does up protection against Omicron to 68%: RIVM research

Dutch News  

While vaccinations or a previous coronavirus infection provide less effective protection against the Omicron variant when compared with Delta, a booster does ensure renewed protection, according to new research by public health institute RIVM. After a booster vaccination, protection against infection with Delta rose to 93% and to 68% for Omicron, the RIVM research shows. ‘International research shows that protection …

Three separate and spaced exposures to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein confers high immune protection, say scientists in two studies
2 years, 11 months ago

Three separate and spaced exposures to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein confers high immune protection, say scientists in two studies

The Hindu  

GIVEN the present extent of reinfections and breakthrough infections one is witnessing with the highly mutated and rapidly spreading Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus, SARS-CoV-2, one might wonder what happened to the medical concept that one gained immunity through prior natural infection and/or vaccination against the virus. On January 28, the journal Nature Medicine tweeted: “Neutralising antibodies are successfully …

Omicron now dominant variant of SARS-CoV-2 in country, says govt
2 years, 11 months ago

Omicron now dominant variant of SARS-CoV-2 in country, says govt

India Today  

Omicron variant is the dominant variant of SARS-CoV-2 in the country at present, Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar informed Lok Sabha on Friday. According to the World Health Organization, the Omicron variant has significantly increased transmissibility as compared to the Delta variant, and as a result, it is rapidly replacing the latter globally, Pawar said in reply …

A dose of realism: The Hindu Editorial on COVID-19 surge post Omicron
2 years, 11 months ago

A dose of realism: The Hindu Editorial on COVID-19 surge post Omicron

The Hindu  

The World Health Organization chief, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, in a recent briefing, noted that 90 million cases of coronavirus have been reported since the Omicron variant was first identified 10 weeks ago. From WHO’s perspective, the blanket lifting of restrictions poses a problem as most people appear to believe that Omicron is less threatening compared to previous variants and that …

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