An international team of scientists have identified antibodies that neutralize omicron and other SARS-CoV-2 variants. These antibodies target areas of the virus spike protein that remain essentially unchanged as the viruses mutate. By identifying the targets of these “broadly neutralizing” antibodies on the spike protein, it might be possible to design vaccines and antibody treatments that will...
Tag: <span>Omicron</span>
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Study shows people infected with Omicron may be less susceptible to Delta variant
by Bob Yirka, Medical Xpress Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain A team of researchers affiliated with a host of institutions in South Africa has found evidence that suggests people who have been infected with the COVID-19 Omicron variant may be less susceptible to infection from the Delta variant. The team has written a paper describing their...
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Here’s how the omicron variant of COVID-19 symptoms differ from the flu or a cold
Emily DeLetter Cincinnati Enquirer Cases of the omicron variant of COVID-19 have been rising, now accounting for 73% of new infections last week, federal health officials said Monday. Numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have shown nearly a six-fold increase in omicron’s share of infections in only one week. While the CDC says it’s still...
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New evidence that boosters may be crucial in protecting against omicron
by Rockefeller University Despite Omicron’s strong resistance to antibodies, blood plasma from boosted individuals can neutralize it. Credit: Rockefeller University As the world faces an impending wave of COVID cases due to omicron, scientists are racing to assess vaccine efficacy against the new variant. In a new study, Rockefeller scientists report on their comprehensive analysis...
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Pfizer confirms COVID pill’s results, potency versus omicron
by Matthew Perrone This undated image provided by Pfizer in November 2021 shows the company’s COVID-19 pills. On Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2021, Pfizer said that its experimental COVID-19 pill is effective against the omicron variant and maintained its promising early performance against the virus in final testing. Credit: Pfizer via AP, File Pfizer said Tuesday...
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Vaccines induce lower levels of neutralising antibodies against omicron, boosters improve levels: study
by University of Oxford Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Researchers from the University of Oxford have analyzed the impact of the omicron COVID-19 variant of concern on one of the immune responses generated by vaccination. Using blood samples from individuals who had previously received two doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines as part of the Com-COV study, and...
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Pfizer/BioNTech says three doses ‘effective’ against Omicron
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Two doses of the BioNTech and Pfizer coronavirus vaccine may not be enough to protect against the Omicron variant, the companies warned Wednesday, but stressed it was “still effective” after a third jab. Omicron has caused global concern over signs that it can transmit faster than previous strains and fears that...
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Should I still get a booster shot even though we don’t know much about omicron?
by Eva Botkin-Kowacki, Northeastern University Credit: Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University The refrain of “get your shots” has picked up again. Even before news of confirmed cases of omicron in the U.S. broke, federal public health officials and President Joe Biden implored people to get coronavirus vaccines and booster shots to protect themselves and others against infection....
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How bad is Omicron? What scientists know so far
Ewen Callaway & Heidi Ledford South Africa is dealing with a large uptick in COVID cases, driven by a new, heavily mutated variant called Omicron. Credit: Guillem Sartorio/AFP/Getty Barely a week has elapsed since scientists in Botswana and South Africa alerted the world to a fast-spreading new SARS-CoV-2 variant now known as Omicron. Researchers worldwide are racing to...