Initial studies reveal that the highly mutated Omicron variant of COVID-19 appears to be less dangerous than the Delta variant, Health Education Bureau Director Dr. Ranjith Batuwanthudawa said yesterday.
“If a person is infected with the Omicron variant, the effect lasts for a short period of around three days while research has shown that the effects of the Delta variant last for about nine days”.
He said that stable data on the Omicron variant were not available at present and that clinical data were available. Health experts in South Africa had come to these conclusions based on data from a study of 166 patients in several hospitals in South Africa.
He added that although the complications and symptoms of the Delta variant were severe, the current clinical data did not indicate that Covid infections caused by the Omicron variant were severe.
Meanwhile in a Twitter thread, Sri Jayawardhanapura University’s Immunology and Molecular Medicine Department Director Dr. Chandima Jeewandara said the first Omicron lab data has been released from a group of South African scientists within two weeks since reports on the variant came to light.
According to him, the scientists, in this study, have assessed how Omicron enters our cells and how antibodies respond to Omicron compared to the original SARS-CoV-2 virus.
As per the findings, the virus is using the same receptor to enter into our cells (called ACE2 receptors) as before.
They have found that among people with the two-dose Pfizer series, neutralizing antibodies had a 40-fold reduction – with Omicron compared to the original virus. Dr. Jeewandara said this is far higher than they have observed with any previous variant(s) of concern.
The Delta variant had a five-fold decrease while the Beta variant had an eight-fold decrease, he pointed out.
Further,it is revealed that the previous infection, followed by vaccination or booster dose administration is likely to increase the neutralization level and likely confer protection from severe disease from Omicron infection.
“This means we are going to see an increase in breakthrough cases, especially among those with only the primary series. But this study gives great hope that our boosters will help protect against Omicron. In addition, and importantly, neutralizing antibodies are not our only defence. We have other antibodies, B-cell factories, and T-cells.”
Dr.Jeewandara further said that there was hope that the Omicron variant might not spread as fast in Sri Lanka or Europe. “We wouldn’t necessarily see the same rate of spread as in South Africa because high rates of Delta and vaccination would be in Omicron’s way.”
However, the emerging data from the United Kingdom suggests that high levels of Delta and/or immunity are not stopping Omicron in the UK, Dr. Jeewandara said, adding that this is anticipated in Sri Lanka as well. “But we need more data for this conclusion.”
courtesy dailynews
