Just over a month since its discovery , we are still learning the real endangerment of the Omicron variant of SARS - CoV-2 , the computer virus that causes COVID-19.The latest reportfrom the Imperial College London COVID-19 response team paint a picture that the risk of reinfection from the unexampled variance is 5.4 times higher than with Delta .
old body of work had estimated that a prior infection gave an 85 per centum protection against a 2d COVID transmission from Delta over 6 months . This was estimated in health care workers . For Omicron , the value is 19 percentage . The report is yet to be equal - review .
“ This study provide further evidence of the very substantial extent to which Omicron can evade anterior immunity given by both infection or inoculation . This level of immune dodging means that Omicron gravel a major , imminent threat to public health , ” Prof Neil Ferguson from Imperial College London said in astatement .
“ Quantifying reinfection risk and vaccine effectiveness against Omicron is essential for model the likely future flight of the Omicron wave and the possible impingement of inoculation and other public wellness interference , ” Prof Azra Ghani from Imperial College London excuse .
The study also suggest that there is not much conflict in grimness between the Omicron and the Delta version , but the team stress that the data point stay on limited , especially with gaze to hospital care . The position ought to be strike earnestly .
“ The message from this bailiwick is clear – do n’t think that if you ’ve caught COVID before , you ca n’t fall ill with it again . This preprint support up previous studies that show reinfections are much more vulgar with the Omicron strain as it looks like able to more well evade any prior immunity gained , ” Prof Deborah Dunn - Walters , Chair of the British Society for Immunology COVID-19 Taskforce and Professor of Immunology at the University of Surrey , who was not regard in the work said in astatement .
“ inoculation provides you with a secure and effective elbow room to supercharge your exemption levels to COVID-19 , and in picky to the Omicron variant , without falling ill with the disease . This booster dose is peculiarly critical to get now as this inquiry shows that three Venus’s curse provide much better protection against Omicron than two vaccine Lucy in the sky with diamonds alone .
