New Omicron Sub-Variants Can Dodge Immunity From Past Infection, May Trigger Wave: Study

The relief is that for those who have got the vaccine, this sub-variant is very less capable of flourishing in their blood.

A health worker checks the temperature of a student (Source: AFP)

New Delhi: In the latest study, scientists in South Africa have found that two new sub-variants of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus can dodge the immunity present in the human body. 

However, the relief is that for those who have got the vaccine, this sub-variant is very less capable of flourishing in their blood.

According to the Reuters report, scientists from several institutions were studying Omicron's BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants, which the World Health Organisation added to its monitoring list last month. They first tested the blood samples of 39 people infected with Omicron at the end of last year, which revealed this.

They took blood samples from 39 members previously infected by Omicron when it initially appeared toward the finish of a year ago.

Fifteen were immunised - eight with Pfizer's shot; seven with J&J's - - while the other 24 were not.

"The vaccinated group showed about a 5-fold higher neutralisation capacity ... and should be better protected," said the study, a pre-print of which was released over the weekend.

In the unvaccinated samples, there was a practically eightfold diminishing in antibody production when presented to BA.4 and BA.5, contrasted and the first BA.1 Omicron heredity. Blood from the immunised individuals showed a triple decline.

South Africa might be entering a fifth Covid-19 wave sooner than anticipated, authorities and researchers said on Friday, accusing a supported ascent in contaminations that is by all accounts driven by the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron sub-variations.

Just around 30% of South Africa's populace of 60 million is completely immunised.

If we look at the situation in India, the number of people who have been infected with the coronavirus in the country so far increased to 4,30,79,188 due to the arrival of 3,324 new cases of Covid-19 in a day. At the same time, after the death of 40 more patients due to infection in India, the number of dead has increased to 5,23,843. The number of patients under treatment for Covid-19 has increased to 19,092, which is 0.04 percent of the total cases.

The daily rate of infection is 0.71 percent and the weekly rate is 0.68 percent. So far, a total of 4,25,36,253 people have become infection free in the country and the death rate from Covid-19 is 1.22 percent. At the same time, more than 189.17 crore doses of anti-Covid-19 vaccines have been given so far under the nationwide vaccination campaign.