According to the study recently published in the journal Nature, the mutant, which first appeared in Botswana and South Africa, is completely resistant to all antibodies.
The researchers added that the mutant can overcome the immune protection granted by vaccines and natural infection, which calls for the need to develop new vaccines and treatments in the near future.
Researchers from Columbia and Hong Kong Universities say their study tested the ability of vaccination-induced antibodies to neutralize the omicron mutant in lab tests that induce the antibodies to attack live viruses and lab-developed pseudoviruses.
The scientists found that antibodies from people who had been vaccinated twice with one of the four most widely used vaccines — Moderna, Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson — were significantly less effective at neutralizing the Omicron mutant than the canonical coronavirus.
The study also revealed that the antibodies in previously infected people were less able to neutralize the faster-spreading omicron mutant.
Meanwhile, the researchers suggest that individuals who received a booster dose of two mRNA vaccines (Moderna, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson) were better protected, even though their antibodies also showed weak activity against omicron.
The researchers identified four new mutations in “Omicron”, which help the virus evade antibodies, noting that this information should inform the design of new methods to combat the new mutation.
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