Is Omicron the beginning of the end of the Covid-19 pandemic?

Demand for oxygen and Intensive Care Unit beds have gone down significantly since the variant largely affects the upper respiratory tract, rather than the lungs

As Omicron sweeps through the globe, countries are once again witnessing a record number of cases by the day. Though the new variant seems to have a higher rate of infection rate compared to its predecessors, hospitalisation and death rates have remained stable, offering a slight glimpse of hope.

Demand for oxygen and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds have also gone down significantly since the variant largely affects the upper respiratory tract, rather than the lungs. However, the high infection rate among healthcare workers has put a great burden on hospital manpower. "Manpower is the biggest challenge this time," says Dr Shamsher Dwivedee, head of the Covid task force at New Delhi’s VIMHANS Niyati Super Speciality hospital.

Can Omicron help in stopping the pandemic?

"It appears that Omicron will assist stop the pandemic," says top infectious diseases specialist Dr Monica Gandhi of California University. According to her, Omicron is very contagious, resulting in a high number of minor breakthrough infections among the vaccinated (even if boosted). Multiple studies, ranging from one by the University of Hong Kong to another by the University of College London, as well as animal studies, have shown that Omicron is milder even among the unvaccinated. This is likely because it can't infect lung cells very well. Omicron infection confers broad immunity to other versions, therefore a minor breakthrough will improve the immunity of the vaccinated (even to other variants) and confer protection to Covid-19 to the unvaccinated if they are exposed.

Also Read: UK scientist says Omicron maybe '1st ray of light' against Covid

So, until a new variant emerges that is more virulent or immune-evading, Omicron appears to be the variant that will take us from pandemic to endemic, she says, according to a News18 report.

However, not everyone is upbeat. The pandemic will not go away, according to Pune-based immunologist Dr Vineeta Bal, until there is a big worldwide population with coronavirus immunity. Children around the world are still unvaccinated. As a result, believing the pandemic will go away soon is a short-sighted prognosis, according to Dr Bal.

"Less severe disease," according to Dr Dwivedee, is a relative word. Covid can induce blood clots and strokes, whether mild or severe. Heart attacks are common during the cold months. As a result, those with high blood pressure or diabetes are at risk.

What is the significance of mask mandates?

Younger people must wear masks even if Omicron is causing minimal symptoms, according to Dr Dwivedee. This is simply to safeguard the elderly and defenceless. Despite the fact that Omicron will continue to infect a huge number of individuals, masks will assist reduce viral load, reducing the severity of the sickness.

Also Read: Masks inadequate while working close to Covid-positive person indoors

Is Omicron vaccine effective, and what about new variants?

Vaccines do work against all variants, according to Dr Gandhi. Our vaccination response (and why we get minor infections even after we've been vaccinated) is most likely due to antibodies vs B and T cell responses. Although antibodies (our main line of defence for upper respiratory symptoms such as mild breakthroughs) can wane over time or be affected by mutations along with the spike protein, we now know that T cells from the vaccine still work against Omicron and B cells (generated by vaccines) adapt the new antibodies they produce to work against variants.

As a result, according to Dr Gandhi, the vaccines' protection against severe disease (but not moderate breakthrough infections, even with the booster) appears to be holding up well. New variants will continue to rise, according to Dr Gandhi, but because T cell immunity is strong and offers an in-breadth response across the spike protein, our current vaccines will suffice. As a result, we won't have to buy new vaccines every time.

Pre-existing immunity, whether acquired by infection or vaccination, will give adequate protection against novel variations, according to Dr. Vineeta Bal.

Are lockdowns effective?

According to Dr Dwivedee, the number of Covid patients admitted to hospitals is growing by the day, and the rapid Omicron rise could soon overwhelm hospitals. He claims that while lockdowns may not have a scientific basis, they do aid the healthcare system by slowing the spread of the disease. According to him, given the extent of the Omicron epidemic, even a tiny fraction of the unvaccinated population being ill and requiring hospitalisation would have a major influence on hospital burden. Lockdowns are beneficial in this situation because they prevent the transmission of infection and thereby lessen the strain on hospitals.

To summarise, as governments around the world scramble to change Covid strategies in order to live with the virus, Dr Gandhi says it's critical to remember that "Covid zero" is not possible due to a variety of factors, including the presence of animal reservoirs, the long infectious period, the failure of vaccines to provide sterilising immunity, and the fact that Covid resembles other respiratory syndromes. We can still control Covid-19 even if we don't eliminate it, and we're getting closer to that goal. The key to this is ensuring that all eligible people are vaccinated, as well as getting children inoculated as soon as possible.

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