Drugs for severe covid remain effective with omicrons, says WHO

The use of drugs for patients with severe covid and respiratory failure — such as corticosteroids and interleukin-6 receptor blockers — remains effective for those infected with omicron, a variant of concern identified last week, said this Sunday (28) WHO (World Health Organization).

“Other treatments will be evaluated to see if they are still as effective, given the changes in parts of the virus in the omicron variant,” it said in a statement.

Among the remedies that are being the object of more studies are monoclonal antibodies (molecules artificially produced from clones of a single cell, which help to neutralize the virus), precisely because they take into account the genetic structure of the pathogen, and the omicron has a large number of mutations.

Drugs that maintain their effectiveness are used to reduce inflammation caused by the coronavirus in critically ill patients—such as the corticosteroids dexamethasone and the blockers tocilizumab and sarilumab.

According to WHO, studies show that they help save the lives of ICU patients with respiratory failure, especially when used together.

Corticosteroids were recommended by the WHO in September 2020 and blockers in April of this year.

In the statement released today, WHO also called attention to the need for more resources to vaccinate the poorest countries and more preventive measures against the contagion, pending the results of research on the behavior of omicrons.

See what questions scientists are trying to answer and what evidence there is so far, according to the organization:

What is the risk of omicron?

The variant, classified as B.1.1.529, was considered “of concern” by the WHO Technical Advisory Group on Virus Evolution (TAG-VE) because of the various mutations that may have an impact on how it behaves, for example , on the ease with which it spreads or on the severity of the disease it causes.

Is it more transferable?

It’s still not clear. The number of people testing positive has grown in areas of southern Africa affected by this variant, but epidemiological studies are underway to understand whether it is because of omicron or other factors.

Does it cause more serious illnesses?

It is not known yet. Preliminary data suggest that there are increasing hospitalization rates in South Africa, but this may be due to the increase in the global number of infected people.
There is so far no evidence that the symptoms associated with omicrons are different from those of other variants.

Initial infections were in younger individuals, who tend to have milder illnesses.

According to WHO, understanding the severity level of the omicron variant can take weeks. The organization emphasizes that all known varieties can cause serious illnesses and deaths, and prevention is essential.

Can anyone who has had a covid be reinfected?

There are signs that yes. According to the WHO, “preliminary evidence suggests that people who have had a covid may be more easily reinfected with omicron compared to other variants of concern” such as delta.

More information should be available in the coming weeks, says the organization.

Is the effectiveness of vaccines less?

There is this risk, because of the many mutations of omicron, mainly in the structure of the virus (protein S) that serves as the basis for current immunizers.

The WHO emphasizes that vaccines continue to be fundamental for the reduction of serious illnesses and deaths, including against the virus that currently still prevails in the world, the delta variant.

Do current tests detect the omicron?

PCR tests continue to detect the variant. Studies are underway to determine if there is an impact on other types of tests, such as rapid antigen detection tests.

What does WHO recommend to governments?

For all variants of concern, the entity recommends increased surveillance and sequencing of cases and the maintenance of public health measures to reduce the circulation of the coronavirus.

It also suggests that countries increase the capacity of their public health and medical systems to manage an eventual increase in cases.

What does WHO recommend to people?

In addition to full vaccination and reinforcement when offered, the most effective steps, according to the organization, are to maintain a physical distance of at least 1 meter from others, wear an adequate mask, avoid contamination when handling the mask, maintain well-ventilated spaces, avoid closed spaces or crowded, keep hands clean, cough or sneeze inside the elbow to avoid hand contamination.