The immune escape potential of Omicron is a serious concern and researchers at ICMR-NIV decided to assess the IgG and neutralising antibody (NAb) response in 39 individuals. (Express File/Amit Mehra)Those infected with the Omicron variant of coronavirus have a significant immune response which could neutralise not only Omicron but also other variants of concern like Delta, according to a study by the Indian Council of Medical Research and the National Institute of Virology. The study analysed neutralising antibodies against variants of concern with the sera of those infected with Omicron.
“The neutralising antibodies could effectively neutralise the Omicron and other VOCs including the most prevalent Delta variant,” ICMR-NIV study researchers have said in the study `Substantial immune response in Omicron infected breakthrough and unvaccinated individuals against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concerns’, published as a pre-print on bioRxiv.
The Omicron variant has shown high transmissibility and capability of evading the immune response generated by natural infection and vaccination.
The immune escape potential of Omicron is a serious concern and researchers at ICMR-NIV decided to assess the IgG and neutralising antibody (NAb) response in 39 individuals.
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These included 25 cases of breakthrough infections vaccinated with two doses of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (Covishield) vaccine, eight individuals vaccinated with two doses of BNT162b2 mRNA (Pfizer) vaccine and six unvaccinated individuals. All these individuals were infected with the Omicron variant. The individuals were mainly foreign returnees from UAE, South/West/East Africa, Middle East, USA and UK and their high-risk contacts.
The immunoglobulin G IgG and neutralising antibodies (NAbs) against B.1, Alpha, Beta, Delta and Omicron variants with the sera of individuals infected with the Omicron variant were analysed.
“Our study demonstrated that the individuals infected with Omicron have significant immune response which could neutralise not only Omicron but also the other VOCs, including most prevalent Delta variant.This suggests that the immune response induced by the Omicron could effectively neutralise the Delta variant, making re-infection with Delta less likely, thereby displacing the Delta as dominant strain.This emphasises the need for Omicron-specific vaccine strategy,” said ICMR-NIV researchers.
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