Omicron is displacing delta insights

Omicron infection also produced immunity against Delta. This means someone who has been infected with delta is largely immune to subsequent delta infection. Therefore delta will soon have no one to infect, therefore will go away. Omicron infection enhances neutralizing immunity against the Delta variantOmicron infection enhances neutralizing immunity against the Delta variant https://www.ahri.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/MEDRXIV-2021-268439v1-Sigal_corr.pdf Africa Health Research Institute, Durban, South Africa School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal Omicron has been shown to be highly transmissible Omicron has extensive evasion of neutralizing antibody immunity, elicited by vaccination and previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. Omicron infections are rapidly expanding worldwide often in the face of high levels of Delta infections. Question Do omicron antibodies neutralise delta virus variant? Does neutralizing immunity elicited by Omicron also enhances neutralizing immunity against the Delta variant? Method Isolated the omicron and delta virus Tested these against the plasma of 15 confirmed omicron cases Used a live virus neutralization assay (Vero E6 cells were propagated in complete growth medium) Calculated the focus reduction neutralization test (FRNT50) Volunteers Previously vaccinated Unvaccinated individuals who were infected with SARS-CoV-2 in the Omicron infection wave Recruited soon after symptom onset We then measured their ability to neutralize both Omicron and Delta virus at enrolment, versus a median of 14 days after enrolment. Neutralization of Omicron increased 14-fold over this time, showing a developing antibody response to omicron Also Enhancement of Delta virus neutralization, increased 4.4-fold. Therefore The increase in Delta variant neutralization in individuals infected with Omicron may result in decreased ability of Delta to re-infect Also Emerging data indicating that Omicron is less pathogenic than Delta Therefore Cross immunity from omicron to delta may have positive implications in terms of decreasing the Covid-burden of severe disease. More science The ability of one variant to elicit immunity which can cross-neutralize another variant varies by variant Immunity elicited by Delta infection Does not cross-neutralize Beta virus Immunity elicited by Beta infection Does not cross-neutralize Delta well Participants in this study Many probably previously infected More than half were vaccinated Therefore activation of antibody immunity from previous infection and/or vaccination is possible Implications These results are consistent with Omicron displacing the Delta variant As cross immunity makes re-infection with Delta less likely (But previous delta exposure will not protect from symptomatic omicron infection) If indeed Omicron is less pathogenic than Delta The incidence of Covid-19 severe disease would be reduced Infection may shift to become less disruptive to individuals and society Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices