Omicron Adversely Affects "Quite a Few" T-Cell Responses But it Seems Disease is Less Severe

The Director of South Africa’s Africa Health Research Institute, who’s laboratory tests have shown Omicron can create a 41.4 fold reduction in neutralizing anti-bodies after 2 jabs of the Pfizer vaccine, has said computer algorithm predictions show “quite a few T-cell responses will not work” after an Omicron infection. But Professor Willem Hanekom added “quite a few will work.” However, when questioned, he said at this stage it’s hard to say whether the responses that won’t work are the more important ones.
Prof Hanekom told The Wire that studies done by groups other than his institute have shown that the reduction in neutralizing antibodies caused by Omicron after 2 doses of AstraZeneca/Covisheild “appears to be the same” as with the Pfizer vaccine ie a forty fold reduction.
Join The Wire's Youtube Membership and get exclusive content, member-only emojis, live interaction with The Wire's founders, editors and reporters and much more. Memberships to The Wire Crew start at Rs 89/month. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChWtJey46brNr7qHQpN6KLQ/join