Previous Covid Infection Un-Protective Against Omicron

Web Desk — South African scientists warn that the new omicron variant is more likely to cause reinfections among people who have already battled COVID-19, abc News has reported.

In South Africa, researchers have been tracking reinfections and reported a jump with the arrival of Omicron that they had not noticed when the previous variants, including the extra-contagious delta variant, were present.

The study’s findings, published online Thursday, are preliminary and have not yet been reviewed by scientists. The researchers did not specify what percentage of the reinfections were confirmed as Omicron cases or whether they caused serious illness.

However, the timing of the reinfection spike suggests that Omicron “demonstrates substantial evidence of evasion of immunity from prior infections,” they concluded.

One of the researchers, Anne von Gottberg of the University of Witwatersrand, noted at a World Health Organization briefing on Thursday that past infection used to protect against delta which no longer seems to be the case.

Vaccination was also not examined in the study. As a result of a Coronavirus vaccination, the immune system is triggered in a variety of ways, some to prevent infection and others to prevent severe illness if infected.

“We believe vaccines will still protect against severe diseases,” von Gottberg said.

Vaccines generally are shown to help protect the rest of the body as well, according to Dr. Michael Ryan, WHO’s head of emergencies.

In terms of data, Ryan said, we’re interested in seeing whether the vaccines continue to protect against severe disease, hospitalizations, and deaths. Right now, there is no reason to think they won’t. We just don’t know the details.”

Researchers in South Africa and Botswana discovered the newest variant just over a week ago, and it has now been found in a number of countries. There is still much uncertainty about the new variant, including whether it is more contagious, as some health authorities suspect, whether it makes people more seriously ill, and whether it can thwart the vaccine.

However, learning how much protection is provided by prior infection is important, especially in places where much of the population has not yet been vaccinated.

The study suggests that “omicron will be able to overcome natural immunity and probably vaccine-induced immunity to a significant extent,” Paul Hunter, professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, said in a written response to the study. Although it is doubtful that this will be a complete escape, just how much is still not clear.”