The Omicron strain can be dangerous for people who have already been ill with COVID-19, which may mean that the new version of the infection has a property that frightened scientists from the very beginning of the pandemic – an antibody-dependent increase in infection. This is evidenced by data published by scientists from South Africa research, said the head of the laboratory of especially dangerous infections of the Federal Research Center for Fundamental and Translational Medicine, Professor of Virology Alexander Chepurnov in a conversation with “Lenta.ru”.
Chepurnov admitted that if this property of the omicron strain is confirmed by research, then new types of vaccines, built on a different principle, may be needed to effectively combat it. “If a new variant of the virus turns out to be one that reacts better to a sensitized organism, that is, one that has already become acquainted with the coronavirus in one form or another, even if it is vaccinated or if it has been recovered,” he said.
At the same time, the virologist noted that researchers from South Africa did not provide any data on how the omicron strain interacts with existing vaccines. “It looks like some very serious surprise is being presented to us by this highly modified coronavirus,” he said.
The scientist also noted that so far there is little data on how the disease progresses in those infected with the omicron strain. In particular, there is almost no evidence that people with antibodies after suffering COVID-19 get sick more severely than the first time.
“So far, I would say that there are more questions here than any meaningful information, but what is in this article is rather unpleasant,” Chepurnov summed up.
Vitaly Zverev, scientific director of the State Research Institute of Vaccines and Serums named after Mechnikov, also reacted with skepticism to the conclusions of the publication of scientists from South Africa. In his opinion, the study does not reflect the full picture of the immune response to the virus.
“So far, it does not seem that the omicron bypasses the immunity of the sick, because they determined it only by neutralizing antibodies, and in people who have recovered, everything is somewhat more complicated – there is cellular immunity, cytoplasmic cells. So far, I would not trust these publications, “he said in a conversation with Lenta.ru.
Zverev also called doubts about the effectiveness of vaccines against the omicron premature. At the same time, he admitted that mutations of the virus will gradually reduce the effectiveness of existing drugs, but omicron has not yet “changed so much that vaccines do not work.”
Earlier, the South African Ministry of Health published a study according to which patients who have previously had any form of COVID-19 have a higher chance of contracting the omicron strain. And if they tolerate the coronavirus easily, then the unvaccinated may face hospitalization, said the country’s health minister Joe Paahl.
The head of the Russian Ministry of Health, Mikhail Murashko, in turn, said that no cases of infection with a new strain of coronavirus have yet been identified in Russia. He assured that the department monitors all arrivals from countries where outbreaks of the virus have been recorded.
At the same time, scientists believe that the omicron strain may already be introduced to Russia, and it may take about six months for it to oust the delta strain and take a dominant position.
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