What works and what doesn’t in protecting people against Omicron (and to what extent)

The emergence of the Omicron variant of coronavirus has once again stirred fear among people. The first case of mutant was discovered in South Africa, which has now spread to at least 57 countries leading to concern regarding the third coronavirus wave. Studies indicate that omicron is much more transmissible and potent to cause severe symptoms as compared to other previous variants. Besides, there is also a chance of the virus surpassing the immunity provided by vaccines and COVID-19 treatments. But not all kinds of treatments are ineffective against the virus. Individual research carried out by drug manufacturers reveal that some vaccines can protect against viruses from causing severe symptoms. Let's have a look at it.

The British-American multinational pharmaceutical company, GlaxoSmithKline plc’s antibody treatment sotrovimab, is said to be effective against all 37 variants of omicron. The one-time injection given into a vein leads to less than a three-fold drop in neutralization. Based on the findings of the study, the company asserted that sotrovimab can lead to fewer symptoms and reduce the risk of severe consequences of COVID-19. The antibody drug is given by a health care expert to people above the age of 12 years within 10 days of the initial infection. It is only used for mild or moderate cases. Sotrovimab is an FDA approved emergency medication used for treating patients with a high risk of developing coronavirus related complications due to added comorbidities like older age, obesity, or conditions like lung, kidney, or heart disease, diabetes.

Read more: Coronavirus: Will mixing COVID-19 vaccines provide higher immunity amid Omicron threat? Study explains

Based on the findings of a lab test, drug manufacturer BioNTech and Pfizer revealed that the three-short course of their COVID-19 vaccine can neutralise the new omicron variant. In a joint statement, the company official revealed that two vaccine doses can lower neutralising antibodies but the third dose, which is the booster shot, can increase the neutralising antibodies by a factor of 25. These antibody levels developed after the third Pfizer shot have high efficacy against both the wild-type virus and these variants. The company may deliver an Omicron-based vaccine in March 2022.

As far as the Indian vaccine makers are concerned they are still waiting for more data on Omicron to understand the behaviour of the mutant. Once they are able to acquire more knowledge about this variant they will start testing their respective drugs to assess their efficacy.

A senior official at Bharat Biotech has said that there is a high chance that Covaxin may work on omicron as it has shown that it can work against other variants, including Delta. As far as Covishield is concerned, top officials believe that it is too early to say anything about the efficacy of the vaccine on the new variant. They said the vaccine may work or may require some tweaking. The makers of ZyCoV-D are also waiting for the data to make any official statement.

How effective are the vaccines currently being administered on the omicron variant is not yet known. Studies are being carried out to understand how the virus works. In the meantime getting vaccinated is the best thing you can do to protect yourself from COVID-19. The vaccine provides protection and immunity against the virus and also reduces the severity level. Besides, wear a mask when you are out, avoid going to crowded places and maintain healthy hygeine. If you witness any sign of COVID-19 isolate yourself immediately and consult your doctor.