A mild course of the omicron does not match the vaccination!
The infectious omicron variant can evade the human immune response due to its structure. The result: Those who have been vaccinated and those who have already recovered are also infected with omicron. The diseases are usually mild, but an omicron infection does not offer sufficient protection as a result.
After omicron infection: Vaccination and booster vaccination are urgently needed
Researchers from the USA have addressed the question to what extent a mild omicron infection could replace a possible vaccination or booster. The first results have already been published as a preprint.
In addition, the experts investigated to what extent the antibody titer differs after an omicron and delta infection.
Antibody titers indicate the level of a person’s neutralizing antibodies, which could quickly fight the virus if reinfected. In particular, they prevent the pathogen from penetrating human cells and act as the first of many protective mechanisms of the immune system.
The number of neutralizing antibodies increased after both Delta disease and omicron infection. However, there are two factors to consider here:
- With a light and mild course, fewer antibodies are formed.
- Protected against Omicron does not mean you are automatically protected against Delta.
The risk of reinfection increases particularly in mild cases, such as those caused by the omicron variant. This assumption is confirmed by initial observations: people who have already been infected with omicron can also contract the variant again.
Mild omicron infection does not protect against further virus variants
Researchers also emphasize that a mild omicron course does not automatically protect against infection with the delta variant or other possible mutations. Due to the low antibody level, cross-immunity is only possible for a short period of time. In this context, too, the severity of the infection and the antibody level are closely related.