Ómicron seems to evade the antibodies generated by the other variants

The omicron variant of SARS-Cov-2 It “appears to be able” to evade the antibodies generated by the other variants, while in the vaccinated, although the neutralization capacity is also reduced, it is still much higher than the natural immunity created by a previous infection.

The current wave of COVID-19 reveals “a particularly” high risk of reinfection with omicron. For this reason, a Swiss team analyzed the antibody neutralization capacity of 120 people infected with the original strain or variants such as alpha, beta, delta and omicron (subvariant BA.1).

The study noted the “exceptional ability” of omicron to evade immunity, compared to the neutralization ability induced by the other variants.

The team from the University of Geneva (Unige) and the University Hospital of Geneva indicated that omicron It “appears to be able” to evade the antibodies generated by the other variants.

In the case of the vaccinated, although the neutralizing capacity is also reduced, “it is still much superior” to natural immunity alone, according to a university statement.

This could explain, the researchers believe, why omicron it is responsible for a net increase in infections despite the vaccine, but not in hospitalizations.

The team took blood samples from 120 volunteers previously infected with one of the different variants, unvaccinated, or vaccinated and infected (either before or after receiving the needlestick), with a mean age between 28 and 52 years, without important comorbidities. and with a shape COVID-19 mild to moderate.

The objective was to determine the capacity of the antibodies generated during the first infection to neutralize the different variants.

Omicron It proved to be the “most effective in evading pre-existing natural immunity, as well as, to a lesser extent, that induced by vaccination,” explained Benjamin Meyer, from Unige.

The levels of antibodies against the original SARS-CoV-2 in vaccinated “are approximately 10 times higher than in people who have only developed immunity after infection.”

The combination of both circumstances, known as hybrid immunity, “appears to maintain even higher and broader levels of reactive antibodies.”

Though omicron can evade existing immunity and cause infection, hospitalization and death due to covid-19, even with this variant “remain reduced after vaccination”.

The team highlighted that SARS-CoV-2 retains “a surprising capacity for mutation, which also seems to be accelerating.”

For this reason, surveillance is still necessary, especially since the epidemiological curves have increased considerably since the appearance of BA.5, the most recent subvariant of omicron”, highlighted Isabella Eckerle, from Unige and team leader.