Scientists have some good news about the new Omicron variant spreading in South Africa
The discovery of the new BA.2 Omicron variant has raised concerns that South Africa could see another wave in infections – but scientists say the subvariant is unlikely to be a ‘gamechanger’ and require additional interventions. There are three officially designated subtypes of Omicron: BA.1, BA.2 and BA.3 — with the BA.2 sub-variant quickly spreading […]
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Previous Covid recovery doesn’t offer much protection against Omicron: UK study
A previous Covid-19 recovery provides little shield against infection with the omicron variant, a research team from Imperial College London showed in a large study that underlines the importance of booster shots. Having had Covid probably only offers 19% protection against omicron, the study showed on Friday. That was roughly in line with two doses of vaccine, […]
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How South African scientists discovered the troubling omicron variant
In early November, laboratories in South Africa’s Gauteng province began picking up something unusual while processing Covid-19 tests: they weren’t able to detect the virus gene that creates the spike protein enabling the pathogen to enter human cells and spread. Around the same time, doctors in the region saw a sudden flood of patients with […]
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