Everyone will likely be exposed to the Omicron variant in the coming weeks. If Omicron is far less deadly than Delta then that could be good news in this ongoing pandemic.The good news is that it will boost the immunity of anyone infected. The bad news is that we don’t know if long COVID symptoms will effect those vaccinated.
It can infect people who are vaccinated and even some who have been boosted. We are not sure yet how it affects the unvaccinated. Many hospitals in America are already full due to Delta.
A Cambridge, Massachusetts based data analytics firm nference conducted a study, yet to be peer-reviewed, that said the variant likely acquired at least one of its mutations by picking up a bit of genetic information from another virus, possibly one that causes the common cold. This does not mean the Omicron variant has “mutated into the common cold,” as some are claiming online. The Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant is significantly distinct from seasonal coronaviruses (HCoV) that cause the common cold.
Vaccinated people infected so far seem to have milder symptoms, based on reports from South Africa. Even of it is lets say 60% milder, and it is 300 % more infectious, it could still create more severe cases. Fully vaccinated people infected with the omicron variant of the novel coronavirus could end up with super immunity to the coronavirus, according to new research from Oregon Health & Science University. The research — published online in the Journal of the American Medical Association — found that breakthrough infections create “a robust immune response against the delta variant.” Researchers said the findings indicate that “the immune response is likely to be highly effective against other variants as the SARS-CoV-2 virus continues to mutate.”
It does seem that COVID is here to stay and the world will have to continue to face ongoing waves as lone as people refuse to get vaccinated.