Scientists expect the omicron wave to recede and the pandemic to...
(MENAFN– Al Watan) The mutated Corona virus known as “Omicron” hits in all directions, and raises the infection index around the world to frightening numbers despite the increase in the rate of receiving vaccination, which in some countries exceeded 70% of the population, and in other countries it exceeded other promising numbers Even at the level of the third booster dose.
With this frightening outbreak, and the numbers that are being circulated with an ascending trend that does not recede, new studies appear here and there, suggesting the preference of this or that vaccine for the production of antibodies to the mutated, but many are afraid that it is just promoting a particular vaccine, and they fear that companies producing those vaccines will be behind it. or companies benefiting from it.
A recent study concluded, a few days ago, that the body would not be able to acquire immunity against the Corona virus mutated known as “Omicron”, without obtaining an additional “booster” dose of vaccines, especially “Pfizer” and “Moderna”.
According to a study conducted by researchers at Ragon Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, whose results were published in the journal Cell, traditional dose regimens of Corona vaccines do not produce antibodies capable of recognizing and neutralizing the mutated “Omicron”.
“People really wanted to know if current vaccines protect against Omicron,” said lead author Alejandro Palaz, who researches how to engineer immunity against infectious diseases.
To find answers, Palaz collaborated with a team of scientists, and the first step was to create a harmless version of Omicron known as “pseudovirus”, which can be used in the laboratory to evaluate the effectiveness of the three Corona vaccines available in the United States, which include two doses of “Pfizer” or “Pfizer”. Moderna, which are vaccines based on messenger RNA or “messenger RNA”, or a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The pseudovirus created by Palaz and his colleagues mimics the behavior of “Omicron”, which contains 34 mutations on the “spike” protein that are not found in the original strain of the Corona virus, which was first discovered in Wuhan, China, in late 2019.
Scientists believe that these mutations may be partly responsible for the rapid spread of the omicron around the world.
Comment on the result
Commenting on the scientists’ findings, Ballas said, “We detected very little pseudovirus neutralization when we used samples from people who had recently received 2 doses of J&J vaccines or 1 dose, but individuals who received 3 doses of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines had Very high neutralization against the Omicron-like.”
On the reason behind this, study co-scientist Garcia Beltran said that one possibility is that “an additional dose creates antibodies that bind closely to the virus protein, which increases its effectiveness. The booster dose may also generate antibodies that target regions of the spike protein common to all forms of the coronavirus.”
Balaz notes that the three-dose vaccination regimen, that is, the two conventional doses and the booster dose of the “Pfizer” and “Moderna” vaccines, provides somewhat lower levels of “Omicron” or “Delta” antibodies, but the results of the study strongly support the advice of the CDC. Disease Control (CDC) says that COVID-19 boosters are appropriate for anyone 16 years of age or older, and that mRNA vaccines are “preferred.”
end date
In contrast to the likely study of the importance of the third booster dose, a study prepared by researchers at the American University of Florida expected the end of the new mutated wave of the Corona virus “Omicron” soon.
The researchers said in the study that the “Omicron” wave will get worse before it fades and disappears.
Many things have changed since the emergence of “Omicron,” said Ira Longini, a professor of biostatistics at the University of Florida and a co-author of the study.
“There was a significant rise in the number of omicrons, faster than we expected,” he added. However, the American academic said he was not too shocked, because the team of researchers expected a large peak in the mutation’s infections.
“We had no doubts that there would be a massive wave of infections in Florida,” he added.
Longini expected that the wave of the mutant “Omicron” will fade in mid-February, as the speed of its spread will be less, after the peak was in the second week of January.
He pointed out that the incubation period for “Omicron” is 3 days, compared to 5 days for the “Delta” mutant, which led to an increase in the speed of the epidemic.
And he warned that “Omicron” could lead to severe infections among young children, especially among those less than 5 years old, because they did not receive the vaccine.
Saudi update
With all these changes, the Saudi Ministry of Health responded, and issued an update on the recovery period for people infected with Coronavirus (Covid-19) for the vaccinated and the non-vaccinated, emphasizing the initiative to take the due dose to prevent the symptoms of severe infection.
According to the new update, the period required for recovery for those who are immunized is up to 7 days, and for those who are not immunized to 10 days, indicating that after this period of time has passed, the recovering does not need to take a smear to ensure recovery.
Injury boom
The latest official data in several countries around the world showed that many people were infected with the “Covid 19” disease, which is caused by the Corona virus, although they received the necessary vaccinations, and this is due, according to many scientists, to several factors, including the highly contagious “Omicron” mutant, which is likely to infect people, even if they are not seriously injured.
People are mistaken when they think that “Covid 19” vaccines are able to prevent infection completely, since vaccine doses are designed primarily to prevent severe infections, according to a virologist at the University of Minnesota, Louis Mansky, who said, “Vaccines are still effective in confronting the virus, Especially in those who received booster doses,” stressing that two doses of “Pfizer” and “Moderna” vaccines and a dose of “Johnson & Johnson” vaccine still provide strong protection against serious disease.
In contrast, these doses are not strong enough to prevent a mild infection with “Omicron” and its transmission to others, so it is recommended that booster doses that increase the level of antibodies to help fight the epidemic.
It appears that the mutant “Omicron” is more capable than other strains of corona, and if people with corona have large quantities of viruses, the possibility of transmitting them to others increases and increases, especially for those who are not vaccinated.
Vaccinated people who contract the virus are more likely to experience mild symptoms in most cases, because multiple doses stimulate your immune system, making it difficult for Omikron to skip them.
The need for more doses
All scientists agree that although the omicron mutant is highly transmissible, its symptoms are still milder than its predecessor, the delta mutant.
Current studies showed that those who received two doses of the Pfizer vaccine had a 25-fold decrease in the ability to neutralize the infection towards the omicron mutant compared to the original coronavirus, however, a booster dose (the third dose) of the Pfizer vaccine could provide protection up to 80-95 %.
Studies indicate that virus mutants increase when the virus spreads widely and causes disease, and the greater the chances of the virus spreading, the greater the chances of its recurrence, and the greater its chances of undergoing mutation, and an error in this transcription process leads to a mutation, but most viral mutations have little effect. Or the lack of the ability of the virus to exacerbate the disease.
Scientists confirm that stopping the spread from the source and immunization are still very important, as receiving a booster dose will increase immunity against Omicron, and the precautions used regularly since the beginning of the epidemic must be strictly followed, and they include physical distancing, avoiding closed places or crowds, and wearing Face mask or face shield, and clean hands frequently, and they confirm that reducing the amount of susceptibility to the virus, makes the odds of the emergence of a new variant low.
They see that protection against COVID-19 diminishes over time, which is why the boosters are being introduced.
Positive omens
With the continuation of talk that Omicron has reached its peak, and that it is on the way to receding, several promising signs have come about the Corona pandemic as a whole in recent days, as evidence has increased confirming that the symptoms of Omicron are milder than the previous mutant, and they affect the upper parts of the respiratory systems, in contrast Other mutations that can cause acute pneumonia.
Many stakeholders also expected that the Omicron wave, which represents the fifth wave of Corona, would be the last for this epidemic, expecting a possible exit from the crisis.
And the French vaccination program announced that with a new mutant “more transmissible (than its predecessors, but less dangerous) we may witness the beginning of the evolution towards a more common virus similar to other viruses”, that is, a more contagious and less dangerous virus that would allow us to obtain natural immunity, in addition To the immunity conferred by the vaccine, which means entering into a less dangerous phase of the epidemic.
Many scientists talk about that Corona will join the viruses that cause colds, including the French epidemiologist Arnaud Fontane, who said, “In the end there is hope … Corona will join other seasonal human coronaviruses that cause colds and tonsillitis every winter.”
“We haven’t reached this stage yet, we can expect new mutations to emerge, but because our immunity is strengthened over time, either through natural infection or booster doses of the vaccine, their ability to cause serious cases will decline,” he said.
Omicron
A mutated virus that has seen a huge number of mutations.
It is fundamentally different from the previous variants.
It is on a completely different branch of the Corona family tree.
Described as “jumping out of nowhere”, which is completely different from its predecessors.
It lasts longer in people with weakened immune systems.
Signs that the pandemic is about to end
The symptoms of mutant have become less.
Mutants are more contagious and less dangerous.
Immunity increases either naturally through infection or through vaccination.
Assurances that Corona will join the viruses that cause colds.
With this frightening outbreak, and the numbers that are being circulated with an ascending trend that does not recede, new studies appear here and there, suggesting the preference of this or that vaccine for the production of antibodies to the mutated, but many are afraid that it is just promoting a particular vaccine, and they fear that companies producing those vaccines will be behind it. or companies benefiting from it.
A recent study concluded, a few days ago, that the body would not be able to acquire immunity against the Corona virus mutated known as “Omicron”, without obtaining an additional “booster” dose of vaccines, especially “Pfizer” and “Moderna”.
According to a study conducted by researchers at Ragon Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, whose results were published in the journal Cell, traditional dose regimens of Corona vaccines do not produce antibodies capable of recognizing and neutralizing the mutated “Omicron”.
“People really wanted to know if current vaccines protect against Omicron,” said lead author Alejandro Palaz, who researches how to engineer immunity against infectious diseases.
To find answers, Palaz collaborated with a team of scientists, and the first step was to create a harmless version of Omicron known as “pseudovirus”, which can be used in the laboratory to evaluate the effectiveness of the three Corona vaccines available in the United States, which include two doses of “Pfizer” or “Pfizer”. Moderna, which are vaccines based on messenger RNA or “messenger RNA”, or a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The pseudovirus created by Palaz and his colleagues mimics the behavior of “Omicron”, which contains 34 mutations on the “spike” protein that are not found in the original strain of the Corona virus, which was first discovered in Wuhan, China, in late 2019.
Scientists believe that these mutations may be partly responsible for the rapid spread of the omicron around the world.
Comment on the result
Commenting on the scientists’ findings, Ballas said, “We detected very little pseudovirus neutralization when we used samples from people who had recently received 2 doses of J&J vaccines or 1 dose, but individuals who received 3 doses of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines had Very high neutralization against the Omicron-like.”
On the reason behind this, study co-scientist Garcia Beltran said that one possibility is that “an additional dose creates antibodies that bind closely to the virus protein, which increases its effectiveness. The booster dose may also generate antibodies that target regions of the spike protein common to all forms of the coronavirus.”
Balaz notes that the three-dose vaccination regimen, that is, the two conventional doses and the booster dose of the “Pfizer” and “Moderna” vaccines, provides somewhat lower levels of “Omicron” or “Delta” antibodies, but the results of the study strongly support the advice of the CDC. Disease Control (CDC) says that COVID-19 boosters are appropriate for anyone 16 years of age or older, and that mRNA vaccines are “preferred.”
end date
In contrast to the likely study of the importance of the third booster dose, a study prepared by researchers at the American University of Florida expected the end of the new mutated wave of the Corona virus “Omicron” soon.
The researchers said in the study that the “Omicron” wave will get worse before it fades and disappears.
Many things have changed since the emergence of “Omicron,” said Ira Longini, a professor of biostatistics at the University of Florida and a co-author of the study.
“There was a significant rise in the number of omicrons, faster than we expected,” he added. However, the American academic said he was not too shocked, because the team of researchers expected a large peak in the mutation’s infections.
“We had no doubts that there would be a massive wave of infections in Florida,” he added.
Longini expected that the wave of the mutant “Omicron” will fade in mid-February, as the speed of its spread will be less, after the peak was in the second week of January.
He pointed out that the incubation period for “Omicron” is 3 days, compared to 5 days for the “Delta” mutant, which led to an increase in the speed of the epidemic.
And he warned that “Omicron” could lead to severe infections among young children, especially among those less than 5 years old, because they did not receive the vaccine.
Saudi update
With all these changes, the Saudi Ministry of Health responded, and issued an update on the recovery period for people infected with Coronavirus (Covid-19) for the vaccinated and the non-vaccinated, emphasizing the initiative to take the due dose to prevent the symptoms of severe infection.
According to the new update, the period required for recovery for those who are immunized is up to 7 days, and for those who are not immunized to 10 days, indicating that after this period of time has passed, the recovering does not need to take a smear to ensure recovery.
Injury boom
The latest official data in several countries around the world showed that many people were infected with the “Covid 19” disease, which is caused by the Corona virus, although they received the necessary vaccinations, and this is due, according to many scientists, to several factors, including the highly contagious “Omicron” mutant, which is likely to infect people, even if they are not seriously injured.
People are mistaken when they think that “Covid 19” vaccines are able to prevent infection completely, since vaccine doses are designed primarily to prevent severe infections, according to a virologist at the University of Minnesota, Louis Mansky, who said, “Vaccines are still effective in confronting the virus, Especially in those who received booster doses,” stressing that two doses of “Pfizer” and “Moderna” vaccines and a dose of “Johnson & Johnson” vaccine still provide strong protection against serious disease.
In contrast, these doses are not strong enough to prevent a mild infection with “Omicron” and its transmission to others, so it is recommended that booster doses that increase the level of antibodies to help fight the epidemic.
It appears that the mutant “Omicron” is more capable than other strains of corona, and if people with corona have large quantities of viruses, the possibility of transmitting them to others increases and increases, especially for those who are not vaccinated.
Vaccinated people who contract the virus are more likely to experience mild symptoms in most cases, because multiple doses stimulate your immune system, making it difficult for Omikron to skip them.
The need for more doses
All scientists agree that although the omicron mutant is highly transmissible, its symptoms are still milder than its predecessor, the delta mutant.
Current studies showed that those who received two doses of the Pfizer vaccine had a 25-fold decrease in the ability to neutralize the infection towards the omicron mutant compared to the original coronavirus, however, a booster dose (the third dose) of the Pfizer vaccine could provide protection up to 80-95 %.
Studies indicate that virus mutants increase when the virus spreads widely and causes disease, and the greater the chances of the virus spreading, the greater the chances of its recurrence, and the greater its chances of undergoing mutation, and an error in this transcription process leads to a mutation, but most viral mutations have little effect. Or the lack of the ability of the virus to exacerbate the disease.
Scientists confirm that stopping the spread from the source and immunization are still very important, as receiving a booster dose will increase immunity against Omicron, and the precautions used regularly since the beginning of the epidemic must be strictly followed, and they include physical distancing, avoiding closed places or crowds, and wearing Face mask or face shield, and clean hands frequently, and they confirm that reducing the amount of susceptibility to the virus, makes the odds of the emergence of a new variant low.
They see that protection against COVID-19 diminishes over time, which is why the boosters are being introduced.
Positive omens
With the continuation of talk that Omicron has reached its peak, and that it is on the way to receding, several promising signs have come about the Corona pandemic as a whole in recent days, as evidence has increased confirming that the symptoms of Omicron are milder than the previous mutant, and they affect the upper parts of the respiratory systems, in contrast Other mutations that can cause acute pneumonia.
Many stakeholders also expected that the Omicron wave, which represents the fifth wave of Corona, would be the last for this epidemic, expecting a possible exit from the crisis.
And the French vaccination program announced that with a new mutant “more transmissible (than its predecessors, but less dangerous) we may witness the beginning of the evolution towards a more common virus similar to other viruses”, that is, a more contagious and less dangerous virus that would allow us to obtain natural immunity, in addition To the immunity conferred by the vaccine, which means entering into a less dangerous phase of the epidemic.
Many scientists talk about that Corona will join the viruses that cause colds, including the French epidemiologist Arnaud Fontane, who said, “In the end there is hope … Corona will join other seasonal human coronaviruses that cause colds and tonsillitis every winter.”
“We haven’t reached this stage yet, we can expect new mutations to emerge, but because our immunity is strengthened over time, either through natural infection or booster doses of the vaccine, their ability to cause serious cases will decline,” he said.
Omicron
A mutated virus that has seen a huge number of mutations.
It is fundamentally different from the previous variants.
It is on a completely different branch of the Corona family tree.
Described as “jumping out of nowhere”, which is completely different from its predecessors.
It lasts longer in people with weakened immune systems.
Signs that the pandemic is about to end
The symptoms of mutant have become less.
Mutants are more contagious and less dangerous.
Immunity increases either naturally through infection or through vaccination.
Assurances that Corona will join the viruses that cause colds.
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