Omicron does not appear to cause more severe disease than previous COVID-19 variants, and is 'highly unlikely' to fully dodge vaccine protections, a top WHO official says.
Source:Omicron does not appear to cause more severe disease than previous COVID-19 variants, and is "highly unlikely" to fully dodge vaccine protections, a top WHO official told AFP Tuesday.
At the same time, he said there was no sign that Omicron could fully sidestep protections provided by existing COVID-19 vaccines. A man is vaccinated against COVID-19 at the Hillbrow Clinic in Johannesburg, South Africa, Monday, 6 December, 2021.Dr Ryan acknowledged it was possible that the existing vaccines might prove less effective against Omicron, which counts more than 30 mutations on the spike protein that dots the surface of the coronavirus and allows it to invade cells."We have to confirm if there's any lapse in that protection, but I would expect to see some protection there.
Early data from South Africa indicates that the new variant is likely more transmissible than previous variants, Dr Ryan said, adding that this was not a surprise. "There is some evidence to suggest that reinfection with Omicron is more common than it was with previous waves or previous variants," Dr Ryan said.
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