NEW DELHI: A study conducted by scientists from South Africa, where the Omicron variant was detected first, has suggested that the new variant is not just highly transmissible, but it can also evade immunity generated by previous infection.
Apart from not offering any insight into whether reinfection leads to severe symptoms, the study also doesn’t look at immune-escape in vaccinated people.
However, doctors said the new findings clearly hinted at the possibility of a rise in infections due to the new variant. “The mutation is such that it is almost like a new virus. So, it will be difficult for the antibodies produced either due to a previous infection or vaccination to recognise and neutralise it. Therefore, the risk of spread of the new variant is high indeed,” said Dr Arun Gupta, president of Delhi Medical Council.
Earlier, it was thought that prior infection with SARS-CoV-2 reduced the chances of reinfection by 80%. The study by South African scientists, which was based on reinfection trends in the country since the beginning of the pandemic, stated that they did not find any evidence of increased reinfection risk associated with circulation of Beta or Delta variants compared with the ancestral strain in routine epidemiological data there. “In contrast, we find clear, population-level evidence to suggest substantial immune evasion by the Omicron variant,” the study added.
On the brighter side, doctors said evidence available so far suggested that the new variant did not cause severe symptoms in a majority of cases. “If this trend holds and there isn’t any significant increase in hospitalisations among the infected individuals, then I would say it may actually turn out to be a boon. The infection will provide additional immunity due to natural infection with minimal or no risk of serious illness or death,” said Dr NK Mehra, senior immunologist and honorary emeritus scientist of Indian Council of Medical Research.
Mehra added that more data was needed to fully understand the impact of the new variant and the picture would become clearer in the next few days. “The reports of the new variant causing mild illness should in no way mean that people lower their guards. Instead, they should continue to maintain Covid-appropriate behaviour. Those who haven’t got vaccinated must get it as early as possible,” said the immunologist.
