Professor of the School of Systems Biology at George Mason University (USA), Doctor of Biological Sciences Ancha Baranova said that if the Omicron coronavirus strain spreads along with Delta, it will infect the vaccinated.
According to the biologist, the “Delta” -strain can miss the “Omicron”, in this case, a large number of units neutralizing the coronavirus will be required to protect against the new strain.
“That is, a higher level of antibodies will be required for protection. What are these units (antibodies – Ed.), It is still impossible to guess, “- quotes Baranova TASS November 28.
The expert also expressed concern about the high ability to spread the new COVID-19 mutation, which can be transmitted in a non-contact way.
As an example, Baranova cited a case in a Hong Kong hotel, where two guests were in quarantine and could not meet in person, but one of them still infected the other with a new strain. The biologist suggested that the transmission of the virus occurred in the corridor through which one of the patients walked “with a loose mask or without it,” and then a second healthy guest passed.
Earlier in the day, the Corriere della Sera newspaper published an image of a spike-protein of the new Omicron strain, presented by Italian scientists. According to a spokesman for the Bambino Gesù (“Baby Jesus”) hospital, experts “reconstructed” a new mutation of the coronavirus and compared it with the Delta variant. The image shows two proteins of both strains with the most changed areas in red.
On Saturday, Maria Van Kerkhove, the head of the technical group of the WHO Emergency Diseases Unit, said that the Omicron coronavirus strain could arise from an infected person with weak immunity after suffering from COVID-19 disease.
On November 27, two cases of a new strain of coronavirus were detected in the UK. It also became known that Omicron was found in a Czech woman who had returned from Egypt. In addition, a new variant of the coronavirus has been identified in Belgium and Italy. Experts in Austria and the Netherlands are testing for the presence of this mutation in their citizens who have returned from Africa.
On November 24, British scientists warned about the risk of spreading a new strain of coronavirus B.1.1.529. According to the Daily Mail, this mutation is potentially more dangerous than other variants of the virus.
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