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"We will know in a week whether Omicron if friend or foe."
I say foe 5 days after your post.
Did Omicron infections double yesterday?
Omicron can hit fully vaccinated, Oxford study says, as UK prepares for tidal wave of cases PUBLISHED MON, DEC 13 20216:34 AM ESTUPDATED TUE, DEC 14 202111:21 AM EST
In a new study announced on Monday, researchers from the University of Oxford tested blood samples of people 28 days after their second dose of either the Oxford-AstraZeneca or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.When omicron was introduced to those samples, scientists reported “a substantial fall” in the neutralizing antibodies that fight off Covid compared to the immune responses seen against earlier variants.
VIDEO01:39
LONDON — Two doses of the Oxford- AstraZeneca or Pfizer- BioNTech Covid-19 vaccines are substantially less effective at warding off omicron compared to previous variants of the coronavirus, scientists have found.
However, the researchers were optimistic that a booster shot would improve immunity against the new, highly transmissible variant.
In a new study announced on Monday, researchers from the University of Oxford tested blood samples of people 28 days after their second dose of either vaccine.
When omicron was introduced to those samples, scientists reported “a substantial fall” in the neutralizing antibodies that fight off Covid compared to the immune responses seen against earlier variants.
The research paper noted that some vaccine recipients “failed to neutralize [the virus] at all.”
“This will likely lead to increased breakthrough infections in previously infected or double vaccinated individuals, which could drive a further wave of infection, although there is currently no evidence of increased potential to cause severe disease, hospitalization or death,” the study’s authors said.
Gavin Screaton, head of Oxford University’s Medical Sciences Division and lead author of the paper, said in a press release on Monday that the findings should “press home the message that those who are offered booster vaccination should take it.”
“Whilst there is no evidence for increased risk of severe disease, or death, from the virus amongst vaccinated populations, we must remain cautious, as greater case numbers will still place a considerable burden on healthcare systems,” he warned.
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“Vaccination induces many arms of our immune system, including neutralizing antibodies and T-cells,” added co-author Teresa Lambe, a professor of vaccinology at the University of Oxford.
“Real-world effectiveness data has shown us that vaccines continue to protect against severe disease with previous variants of concern. The best way to protect us going forward in this pandemic is by getting vaccines in arms.”
A report published by the U.K.’s Health Security Agency on Friday estimated that two doses of a Covid vaccine were significantly less effective at preventing symptomatic disease through infection from the omicron variant compared to delta. However, the report noted that after a booster dose, vaccines were thought to be 70 to 75% effective at preventing symptomatic infections.
“With previous variants, vaccine effectiveness against severe disease, including hospitalization and death, has been higher than effectiveness against mild disease,” the UKHSA said. “It will be a few weeks before effectiveness against severe disease with Omicron can be estimated, however based on this experience, this is likely to be substantially higher than the estimates against symptomatic disease.”
In a televised statement on Sunday, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned Britain faces a “tidal wave” of Omicron infections, and announced that the country would be speeding up its booster program to offer all adults a third dose of a vaccine by the end of the year. The government had previously been aiming to extend its booster scheme to all over-18s by the end of January.
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Still deaths around 22 a day in South Africa We will know in a week whether Omicron if friend or foe. Brasil at herd immunity but no one talking. Just imagine the evil people who suffer when the news is good. Everyone who reads this and hopes Im wrong is evil
