Balance released this Wednesday (22) by the Ministry of Health shows that 32 cases were recorded in Brazil of the new variant of the coronavirus, Ômicron. There is no record of deaths caused by the strain in the country.
Infections were recorded in São Paulo (20), Goiás (4), Minas Gerais (3), Federal District (2), Rio Grande do Sul (1), Rio de Janeiro (1) and Santa Catarina (1).
There are still, according to the folder, 23 cases under investigation, 2 of them in Goiás and 21 in Rio Grande do Sul.
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Ômicron and vaccines: what is known so far
Immunant manufacturers say that while existing vaccines may be less effective against Ômicron, they are likely to protect those infected with the new variant against serious Covid-19 conditions.
The studies, which are still preliminary, show that the new strain can partially escape a first protective barrier offered by immunizers. And they suggest a path: booster doses.
Considered a strain of concern by WHO, Ômicron was identified in South Africa on 24 November. The fear is related not only to the number of mutations, but to the location of these variations within the virus. Of the 50 genetic alterations in the strain, 32 are in the spike protein, the one that allows the virus to enter human cells.
Most vaccines use the spike protein to induce the immune response — which is why changes in this part of the virus are of great concern.
The first research to test the variant’s impact on vaccine protection is still preliminary, has not been reviewed by other scientists and has collected little data. These studies are carried out in the laboratory: scientists analyze the interaction between blood samples from vaccinates (with antibodies) and the new variant. Initial conclusions are that there is a decline in the vaccine’s ability to produce antibodies that neutralize Ômicron — which scientists have already expected.
According to a survey conducted in South Africa of 12 people, there was a 41-fold decline in levels of neutralizing antibodies against the new variant in those vaccinated with Pfizer. The study, by the Durban Health Research Institute, also showed that protection appears to be greater among those who had already been infected before taking the vaccine.
For Alex Sigal, virologist who conducted the research, the data bring good news, despite the drop in antibodies being worrying. He feared that vaccines might not provide protection against the strain. There was a risk that Ômicron had found a new “door” to enter the cells—which would make vaccine antibodies useless.
“It is clear from preliminary data that protection is enhanced with a third dose of our vaccine,” said Albert Bourla, CEO of Pfizer. He also said that it is possible that the population will need a fourth dose. An adapted vaccine would be available “until March”, according to the drugmaker.
Along the same lines, scientist Xiangxi Wang, the main researcher at the Laboratory of Infection and Immunity at the Institute of Biophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, stated that a third dose of CoronaVac, developed by the Chinese Sinovac in partnership with the Butantan Institute, produces capable antibodies to recognize the Ômicron.
AstraZeneca said the vaccine platform developed in partnership with the University of Oxford “allows you to respond quickly to new variants that may arise.” Johnson & Johnson said it is testing samples to measure Janssen’s neutralizing activity against Ômicron. At the same time, the company is looking for a specific vaccine for the variant “and will develop it as necessary”, he declared.
Balance released this Wednesday (22) by the Ministry of Health shows that 32 cases were recorded in Brazil of the new variant of the coronavirus, Ômicron. There is no record of deaths caused by the strain in the country.
Infections were recorded in São Paulo (20), Goiás (4), Minas Gerais (3), Federal District (2), Rio Grande do Sul (1), Rio de Janeiro (1) and Santa Catarina (1).
There are still, according to the folder, 23 cases under investigation, 2 of them in Goiás and 21 in Rio Grande do Sul.
read more:
Ômicron and vaccines: what is known so far
Immunant manufacturers say that while existing vaccines may be less effective against Ômicron, they are likely to protect those infected with the new variant against serious Covid-19 conditions.
The studies, which are still preliminary, show that the new strain can partially escape a first protective barrier offered by immunizers. And they suggest a path: booster doses.
Considered a strain of concern by WHO, Ômicron was identified in South Africa on 24 November. The fear is related not only to the number of mutations, but to the location of these variations within the virus. Of the 50 genetic alterations in the strain, 32 are in the spike protein, the one that allows the virus to enter human cells.
Most vaccines use the spike protein to induce the immune response — which is why changes in this part of the virus are of great concern.
The first research to test the variant’s impact on vaccine protection is still preliminary, has not been reviewed by other scientists and has collected little data. These studies are carried out in the laboratory: scientists analyze the interaction between blood samples from vaccinates (with antibodies) and the new variant. Initial conclusions are that there is a decline in the vaccine’s ability to produce antibodies that neutralize Ômicron — which scientists have already expected.
According to a survey conducted in South Africa of 12 people, there was a 41-fold decline in levels of neutralizing antibodies against the new variant in those vaccinated with Pfizer. The study, by the Durban Health Research Institute, also showed that protection appears to be greater among those who had already been infected before taking the vaccine.
For Alex Sigal, virologist who conducted the research, the data bring good news, despite the drop in antibodies being worrying. He feared that vaccines might not provide protection against the strain. There was a risk that Ômicron had found a new “door” to enter the cells—which would make vaccine antibodies useless.
“It is clear from preliminary data that protection is enhanced with a third dose of our vaccine,” said Albert Bourla, CEO of Pfizer. He also said that it is possible that the population will need a fourth dose. An adapted vaccine would be available “until March”, according to the drugmaker.
Along the same lines, scientist Xiangxi Wang, the main researcher at the Laboratory of Infection and Immunity at the Institute of Biophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, stated that a third dose of CoronaVac, developed by the Chinese Sinovac in partnership with the Butantan Institute, produces capable antibodies to recognize the Ômicron.
AstraZeneca said the vaccine platform developed in partnership with the University of Oxford “allows you to respond quickly to new variants that may arise.” Johnson & Johnson said it is testing samples to measure Janssen’s neutralizing activity against Ômicron. At the same time, the company is looking for a specific vaccine for the variant “and will develop it as necessary”, he declared.
