Covid-19 booster shot likely to protect against Omicron, says virologist

The virologist added that it will take a few weeks to analyse whether the antibodies induced by current vaccines are able to block Omicron

With the Health Ministry on Thursday evening confirming two cases of Omicron in Karnataka, the curiosity surrounding the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 has now turned quite palpable.

In an interview with DH's Anupama Ramakrishnan, Professor Lawrence Young, virologist and Professor of Molecular Oncology, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick explained the risks posed by Omicron and measures that need to be taken to limit its spread. Here are the edited excerpts of the interview:

Q. How do you look at India in light of the new variant? Has the time for booster doses arrived?

A. It is very likely that the Omicron variant is already in India. It is important to do everything to slow and limit the introduction and spread of this variant. That means restricting travel from countries where this variant is prevalent and operating a robust test-and-trace regime to identify infected individuals and their contacts and ensuring that they are isloated. It is very likely that full vaccination and booster jabs with current vaccines will be able to protect from disease caused by the Omicron variant as they do for all the other variants.

Also read: Omicron detected by sheer chance in Bengaluru doctor with no travel history

Q. Your thoughts on the transmissibility and the risks of the Omicron variant...

A. It’s not surprising that we are seeing increasing numbers of cases infected with the Omicron variant all over the world. Once a variant is identified, particularly one that is likely to be more infectious, it will have spread far beyond the few original cases and countries. That’s the nature of infectious disease in a world where international travel is so common. The Omicron variant is spreading rapidly in South Africa but whether this means that it is more transmissible than the Delta variant remains to be seen. Early and anecdotal reports from South Africa suggest that Omicron is more infectious than the Delta variant and causes only mild disease, particularly in those who are re-infected after being vaccinated.

Q. Do you think the new variant could escape vaccine protection?

A. Hospitals in South Africa are seeing a rise in young people being admitted with moderate to severe disease, many of whom are either unvaccinated or have received only one dose. This might suggest that vaccination is able to protect from disease caused by the Omicron variant as it does for all the other variants. But these are anecdotal reports and we need to wait for a couple of weeks to see what happens with the spread of Omicron infection, its impact on hospitalisations and deaths, and whether vaccination is protective. It will also take a few weeks for laboratory studies to analyse whether the antibodies induced by current vaccines are able to block infection with this variant.

Also read — Omicron, Delta pave the wave for a new super variant

Q. What needs to be done to control the spread of the new variant across the world?

A. Increasing the uptake of vaccines including booster jabs, encouraging more widespread use of face coverings and restricting large gatherings in poorly ventilated spaces are important approaches to protect the population and ensure that the health system is not overwhelmed.

Variants will continue to be generated as long as the virus is allowed to spread particularly in countries like South Africa where vaccination rates are low. This emphasises the need to control the pandemic at the global level as well as locally and that it is in all our interests to support the rollout of vaccines across the world.

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