Omicron Infections Help Eliminate Other Variants of Concern

Omicron infection in individuals may help them develop a significant immune response which could neutralize several other variants of concern.

Immune response induced by the Omicron variant could effectively help neutralise the Delta variant, as per Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) study.

This may reduce the chances of re-infection with the Delta variant, thereby displacing this variant as the dominant strain.

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Cytokines are chemical signaling molecules produced by immune cells of our body and help cells in the human body to communicate with each other. They are involved in inducing immune response and growth regulation.

‘Omicron infection in an individual may help them develop a significant immune response which could neutralize not only Omicron but also other variants of concern, including the most prevalent Delta variant.’

The study analyzed the IgG and neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) against B.1, Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants with the sera of individuals infected with the Omicron variant (B.1.1529 and BA.1).

This emphasizes the need for an Omicron-specific vaccine strategy, said the study.

"The GMTs of neutralising antibodies of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 breakthrough individuals showed significant fold-reductions compared to B.1 against Alpha (3.23), Beta (2.38), Delta (3.23) and Omicron (4.31) variants respectively. Similarly, BNT162b2 mRNA breakthrough individuals demonstrated significant fold-reduction in GMTs of 1.52 and 7.41 for Delta and Omicron respectively," it said.

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However, the study has a limitation of lesser participants in the unvaccinated group and the shorter window period post-infection. "This could be the important reason for the low immune response specifically in the unvaccinated individuals against Omicron," it said.

The study was conducted on 39 Omicron-infected individuals, of which 25 had taken both the doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, eight people had taken the double dose of Pfizer jab, while six were unvaccinated. Of the 39, 28 were foreign returnees, and the rest their high-risk contacts.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (MIS-C)
Multisystem inflammatory syndromeis a life-threatening illness that causes complex reactions of immune system throughout the body, resulting in permanent organ damage or even death. This serious condition is linked to COVID-19 in children (MIS-C) and adults (MIS-A).

"Our study demonstrated substantial immune response in the individuals infected with Omicron. The neutralising antibodies could effectively neutralise the Omicron and other variants of concern (VOCs), including the most prevalent Delta variant," the study stated.

Source-IANS

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