New Delhi India January 26 ANI The latest study conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research shows that antibodies generated by Omicron, a COVID 19 strain, are not only effective against it but also other variants of concern for VOCs including Delta.
A study by the ICMR revealed that the individuals infected with Omicron have a significant immune response that could neutralize not only the Omicron but also the other VOCs including the most prevalent Delta variant.
This suggests that the immune response induced by the Omicron could effectively neutralize the Delta variant, making the re-infection with Delta less likely, displacing the Delta as dominant strain. It further emphasises the need for the Omicron specific vaccine strategy.
In this study, the ICMR has analyzed the IgG and neutralizing antibodies NAbs against B. Alpha, Beta, Delta and Omicron variants with the sera of individuals infected with the Omicron variant B. India is currently facing the third wave of the COVID 19 epidemic.
The variant has shown a high transmissibility and capability of evading the immune response generated by natural infection and vaccination within a short span of time, according to ICMR. The immune escape potential of Omicron is a serious concern and needs to be explored further.
The study, where antibodies response was assessed in those who are infected by Omicron, is not peer reviewed.