Researchers took blood samples of individuals infected with the fast-spreading variant and measured their antibody levels to see how well the virus-fighting proteins react to both.
Lab tests conducted two weeks after the patients joined the study showed that antibody levels spiked 14-fold in response to the omicron variant and a 4.4-fold increase against delta. Studies that delved into the topic showed that the antibodies that are made in response to delta have reacted poorly to omicron.
Professor Alex Sigal, lead researcher and virologist at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa said that the findings suggested omicron could move the pandemic in the endemic phase. “The increase in neutralizing immunity against Omicron was expected, that is the virus these individuals were infected with,” he said. “However, we also saw that the same people – especially those who were vaccinated – developed enhanced immunity to the delta variant.”
Sigal noted that omicron is the less pathogenic variant that could push delta out, adding that it should decrease the likelihood of someone infected with omicron getting reinfected with delta.
“If that is true, then the disruption COVID has caused in our lives may become less,” he said....<<<Read More>>>...
