Can Omicron Coronavirus Infection Stop Delta Mutations?

A new laboratory study by South African scientists suggests that “infection with the SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant produces a neutralizing immune response against the delta variant.” This means that if a person is infected with a new Omicron coronavirus variant, it may be able to fight subsequent infections from the Delta variant. New York Times Report..

the scientist Registered Both previously vaccinated and unvaccinated subjects were infected with Omicron in South Africa shortly after they began to show symptoms of coronavirus. Next, at “median 14 days at enrollment and after enrollment,” the ability to neutralize both Omicron and Delta variants was measured.

The findings elicited hope. Omicron neutralization increased 14-fold in 2 weeks, indicating “development of antibody response” to the newly discovered highly contagious Omicron mutant.

Researchers also emphasize the finding that there was a 4.4-fold increase in “enhancement of delta virus neutralization.”

“Increased Delta variant neutralization in individuals infected with Omicron can result in a diminished ability of Delta to reinfect those individuals.” Said Professor Alex Segal of the African Institute of Health, who led the study. “If Omicron’s pathogenicity turns out to be low, this may indicate a change in the course of the pandemic. At least for now, Omicron may take over and reduce the disruption to our lives. There is sex. “

“Omicron is likely to push out the delta,” Cigal said. New York Times.. “Pushing out the delta may actually be a good thing. We are looking for something that is easier to live in.”

The study, called “Omicron infection enhances neutralizing immunity to Delta,” has not yet been published in a scientific journal, but was posted on the website of the African Institute of Health on Monday.Submitted as a preprint medRxiv.. Once peer-reviewed, it will be published in a medical journal.

Independent scientists said the South African experiment has not yet been validated, but the results seem to make sense. Karl Pearson, an epidemiologist at the London School of Economics and Tropical Medicine, said the findings are parallel to what’s happening in the UK right now.

“Omicron arrives and grows rapidly, and the Delta trend switches to decline,” he said.

Another epidemiologist, Nathan Grubo of the Graduate School of Public Health, said he was witnessing the same pattern in Connecticut, USA.

“We see Omicron increasing exponentially while the cases of Delta are decreasing,” he said. “This suggests to me that Omicron outperforms Delta for sensitive individuals, making them less susceptible to Delta in the aftermath and pushing down Delta cases.”

The coronavirus has evolved over the past two years, disrupting people’s lives and causing havoc in their daily lives, economy and social environment. When they were first infected, people were producing antibodies and immune cells that could protect them from reinfection. Therefore, it was a rare opportunity to get sick again from Covid-19 soon after recovery.

With the advent of the new coronavirus variantThis was no longer the case, such as alpha and beta starting in late 2020. Alpha had mutations that helped spread Alpha rapidly, as there were indications that allowed it to escape the antibody, either from a previous Covid-19 infection or, thanks to a vaccine.

read more: US Daily Covid-19 Cases Soar to Record Highs – Latest Updates

Source: TRT World and distributors