Although the Omicron strain of coronavirus is now clearly dominant, there is no absolute certainty that it will completely displace Delta, as Delta has displaced other variants that came before it. This was stated in an interview with Izvestia by the head of the laboratory of biotechnology at the Institute of Virology named after V.I. DI. Ivanovsky Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology. honorary academician N.F. Gamaleya of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation Sergey Alkhovsky.
“Still, this strain is very antigenically different from both Delta and previous strains. This suggests that the immunity acquired after it, after some time after recovery, is unlikely to work effectively against Delta or similar strains, ”said the virologist.
According to him, those antibodies to Omicron that arise after an illness do not interact very effectively with Delta. However, at a high titer, antibodies against Delta neutralize Omicron.
“How it works in the opposite direction is not yet clear. Apparently, high titers of antibodies against Omicron are also able to neutralize Delta, but how effective and long-term this protection is is not yet known, ”he said.
Therefore, to say that Omicron will completely erase Delta and all other options is premature, the specialist concluded.
Read more in the exclusive Izvestia article:
“Omicron” is not the last strain, we will reach the end of the alphabet”
Source: IZ
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
