The third dose of the vaccine is effective against the Omicron variant, says in a new post on Facebook the professor of Health Policy Elias Mosialos of the Imperial College and the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), referring to a new study by a group of scientists of Cambridge University. As he points out, the British study gives us data that is consistent with the results from other research teams from his university. Hong Kong and the Balazs Lab of American universities MIT / Harvard.
He points out that the new laboratory results show that in cell cultures (organoids) of the lung, the changes caused by mutations in the protein’s micron spike, have a drastic effect on the mechanism by which the virus infects cells, as shown by the results from Hong Kong .
According to Mr. Mosialos, “in the new study we read new data about the differences in the cell fusion mechanism that is caused after the virus enters the lung cells. We know that in severe disease with Covid-19 there is extensive lung damage and the presence of infected multinucleated structures caused by fusion / union of lung cells. The viral and cellular mechanisms that regulate fusion are not yet well understood. However, it seems that in the experiments that were performed, the micron spike protein was not as effective in cell fusion, both compared to the delta and compared to the original strain. This, as I said, is important because often after a serious illness this cell fusion is observed in other tissues which can cause further worsening of the symptoms. Knowing that pneumocyte infection could be associated with the severity of Covid-19 disease in the lungs, if this is proven clinically, then it means that the pathogenicity of the micron will be less than that of the delta. However, clinical proof is required “.
He adds that the new remarks highlight two points:
«1. How the mutations may have given the micron variant an advantage of escaping immunity after double vaccination, but how the third dose will protect us.
This is the third time (along with the announcement from Israel) that the properties of the micron variant, which are related to the replication of the virus in cells and possibly pathogenesis, differ from those of delta.
So we expect to see clinical results for the effect of omicron on carriers or patients. At the moment we also do not have many hospitalizations from the micron. But that could change dramatically in the coming days. So it’s too early to draw conclusions.
Let us not forget that in Greece we have many vulnerable people who are still unvaccinated. This can result in a great burden on the health system, because the micron is transmitted much more easily and more than the delta “.
In conclusion, according to Mr. Mosialos, “although some laboratory results indicate that Omicron may have a smaller effect on the lower respiratory tract than the Delta, but these results should be confirmed by other laboratory and clinical studies. Therefore, it is good that the unvaccinated are not complacent and should be vaccinated as soon as possible and those who have not yet taken the third dose should hurry to do so. In addition, many countries are announcing new measures because of the micron. Maybe this will happen in Greece in the coming days.
I think that would be right
• FFP2 / N95 / ΚΝ95 masks should be used indoors, especially by shop and office workers who stay for many hours in the same space.
To ventilate the premises as best as possible, opening doors and windows frequently, and
• As I have said for a year now, employers should make an investment in purchasing portable ventilation and air purification systems for workplaces. “This is an investment that will help reduce other types of respiratory infections, such as the flu.”
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