Catching the Omicron variant of Covid may also help people fend off Delta, new research suggests. MailOnline has more.
Academics took blood samples from people struck down with the ultra-infectious variant and measured their antibody levels. They then looked at how well the virus-fighting proteins reacted to both Omicron and Delta.
Lab tests, conducted two weeks after patients joined the study, showed antibody levels spiked 14-fold in response to Omicron.
But there was also a 4.4-fold increase against Delta, according to the findings which took the researchers by surprise.
Other studies delving into the topic of cross-variant immunity showed antibodies made in response to Delta reacted poorly to Omicron.
Professor Alex Sigal, a virologist at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa who led the research, said it suggested Omicron could usher in the endemic phase of the pandemic.
He said: “The increase in neutralising immunity against Omicron was expected, that is the virus these individuals were infected with.
“However, we also saw that the same people – especially those who were vaccinated – developed enhanced immunity to the Delta variant.”
Professor Sigal added: “If, as it currently looks like from the South African experience, Omicron is less pathogenic, then this will help push Delta out.”
He said this was because it should “decrease the likelihood someone infected with Omicron will get re-infected with Delta”.
“If that is true, then the disruption Covid has caused in our lives may become less,” Professor Sigal continued.
Worth reading in full.
Stop Press: Three-quarters of people in the U.K. with Cold-like symptoms are likely to have Covid, according to a new Zoe Covid study. The Guardian has more.
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