Theodora Hatziioannou, Associate Professor of Virology at New York University, expressed her concern about the Omicron mutation, which appears to be extremely resistant to antibodies to vaccine and the disease, speaking to SKAI and the show “Today”.
“We have to worry about Omicron, because the data are still too early and we still do not know how contagious it is and how serious the disease can be. Both from our own studies and from what has come out so far it seems that it is very resistant to a part of our immune system, especially to the antibodies that we produce after vaccination or disease. It is extremely resistant, it is as if we have almost no or very little antibody that can catch it. “The protection is very low,” he said.
However, as Ms. Hatziioannou said, it is optimistic that those who have been ill and have received an mRNA vaccine or those who have received the third dose have very high levels of antibodies and can treat Omicron.
He did not rule out the need for an updated vaccine, however it will be late.
Sarigiannis: In mid-January, Omicron is more intense in Greece
For his part, the professor of Environmental and Sanitary Engineering at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Demosthenes Sarigiannis, noted that in Greece we will meet much more intensely the Omicron mutation from mid-January and will be the main problem this winter. “With the data we have so far from the scientific community, our own estimates show that we will encounter it more from mid-January and we have time to prepare properly so that we can deal with it effectively.”
Regarding the course of the pandemic, the professor of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki pointed out that from this week the number of deaths will begin to decrease to reach 72-75 on average around Christmas.
“The situation is in a phase of de-escalation in terms of cases and this will begin to show in the hardest indicators, such as deaths, as within a week they will begin to decline. “At Christmas, about 72-75 deaths will be recorded on average, and this process will continue normally during the holidays as well,” he stressed.
Follow Skai.gr on Google News
and be the first to know all the news
.
I have worked in the news industry for over 10 years. I have a vast amount of experience in covering health news. I am also an author at News Bulletin 247. I am highly experienced and knowledgeable in this field. I am a hard worker and always deliver quality work. I am a reliable source of information and always provide accurate information.
