It may require up to 40 times more coronavirus antibodies to counteract the Omicron variant compared to the original strain, Giorgio Palu, the president of the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA), has said
ROME (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th December, 2021) It may require up to 40 times more coronavirus antibodies to counteract the Omicron variant compared to the original strain, Giorgio Palu, the president of the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA), has said.
"Some unpublished studies tell us that to stop the new virus it takes 10-40 times more antibodies than what was enough to neutralize the original strain," Palu said in an interview with the Corriere della Sera newspaper.
The official stressed that Omicron may evade the antibodies in the vaccinated and recovered people. He also noted that COVID-19 vaccination can be considered complete after a third dose.
"This blueprint is part of the history of vaccinology, but we should not think that the need to receive another shot demonstrates failure of these means against COVID-19," Palu said.
He said that the experience of South Africa, where Omicron was first detected in November, may not be useful for determining the new variant's morbidity, as its population is younger than Europe's, only about 25% are vaccinated, and it's currently summer there.
In November, the World Health Organization (WHO) identified the new strain as one of concern, as its high number of mutations possibly makes it more transmissible and dangerous. The WHO has dubbed it Omicron, the 15th letter of the Greek alphabet.
