Omicron May Be Less Severe But COVID Booster Shot May Not Effective Against The New Variant As Delta

Researchers have found that Omicron is less severe than Delta but more transmissible. Scientists also found that COVID booster shot may be able to contain the surge, but a UK researcher claims otherwise.

By now, everyone knows what a booster shot does. It is the third COVID jab to provide an extra layer of protection against the deadly disease. The emergence of the Omicron variant further shifted the focus on the booster shots. It was only recently when Pfizer and many other authorities claimed that a booster shot would be able to protect people from the new, more transmissible variant of the coronavirus.

But a researcher from the University of Bern said that a booster shit of COVID vaccine will not be enough to control the spread of the new hypermutated Omicron variant.

COVID Booster Shot Not Effective Against Omicron Variant As Delta

While several researchers from the US, UK and Israel have shown that two doses of COVID vaccines are not enough to tackle the Omicron variant and people would need a booster shot to control the surge. But the statement of this UK researcher has further clouded forecasts of how booster campaigns will affect the trajectory of the pandemic.

Dr Emma Hodcroft, an epidemiologist at the varsity was quoted as saying to BBC Radio said that the booster shot may provide up to 70 percent protection against Omicron, whereas it was 90 percent against Delta. "This is particularly important if you're someone who is vulnerable or elderly because it is good to know you may not have complete protection," she said.

According to preliminary data from South Africa, Omicron "isn't quite as bad as previous variants," but there are key caveats that indicate the UK "needs be really cautious."

Omicron May Not Cause Severe Cases But It Spreads Rapidly

Many South Africans have been infected with Covid and recovered, or have been vaccinated, so they are less likely to develop severe symptoms. Many people who have been infected with Omicron have only had it for a few weeks, and it might take weeks for symptoms to become severe enough to require hospitalisation.

"Even if Omicron is less harmful, it seems to be moving so quickly that if a lot of people in the UK got it at the same time, we could still risk overwhelming the NHS which is already stressed from Delta," Hodcroft added.

Due to the emergence of the super mutant coronavirus, the country's Covid alert level has been elevated to four. Level four indicates that transmission is high or rising; the UK was last at this level in May. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson declared an "Omicron emergency" and set a new booster shot for everyone over the age of 18 in England starting this week, three months after their second dose.

According to a new modelling study that has yet to be peer-reviewed, the super mutant strain might cause between 25,000 and 75,000 Covid-19-related deaths in the United Kingdom by April of next year.

(with inputs from agencies)