NIHG employee Gottberg: survivors of COVID-19 are not protected from the omicron strain
Center of the Republic of South Africa ( South Africa) and the National Institute for Infectious Diseases (NIIH) warned in a joint study that the omicron strain of coronavirus is three times more infectious for people with previous COVID-19 than previous options. This is reported by Reuters.
“The data shows that the omicron strain has the ability to bypass the immunity from COVID-19 received by those infected with earlier variants of the coronavirus,” South African scientists noted.
NIHE Ann von Gottberg, in turn, said during a briefing by the regional office of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Africa that the fact of recovery from previous variants of coronavirus does not provide protection against the omicron strain. “We are seeing an increase in the number of people who have previously defeated the coronavirus who are re-ill with COVID-19 as a result of the spread of the omicron strain,” she said. According to Gottberg, previously in South Africa, those who had been ill with the Delta strain, but now the situation is different.
She added that vaccination against coronavirus protects against serious forms of illness, hospitalization and death.
< p> Earlier, the director of the Gamaleya Center, Alexander Gunzburg, suggested that the omicron might have an incubation period of about 12-14 days. If at the same time it turns out to be highly infectious, then it will be able to displace the delta strain and immunize the population.
A new strain under the code B.1.1.529 was detected in South Africa on November 11, isolated cases were also recorded in Japan, Canada , Spain, Sweden, Egypt, Austria and other countries.