1/ FAQs I'm getting re: Omicron variant:
Q: Is Omicron more infectious than Delta?
A: We don't know yet. Possibly. Or it could be "hitching a ride" with lax behavior or super spreading.
Q: Is Omicron more infectious than Delta?
A: We don't know yet. Possibly. Or it could be "hitching a ride" with lax behavior or super spreading.
2/
Q: Does Omicron have a shorter incubation period than Delta?
A: We don't know yet.
Q: Will neutralizing antibodies elicited by the vaccines protect against Omicron?
A: We don't know yet. We may have that data in ~2 weeks.
Q: Does Omicron have a shorter incubation period than Delta?
A: We don't know yet.
Q: Will neutralizing antibodies elicited by the vaccines protect against Omicron?
A: We don't know yet. We may have that data in ~2 weeks.
3/
Q: Is Omicron more virulent than Delta or other variants?
A: We don't know yet. This will likely take months to parse out.
Q: Can we develop mRNA vaccines against Omicron? How long that would take?
A: Yes. Starting now, developed by spring 2022, manufactured by summer 2022.
Q: Is Omicron more virulent than Delta or other variants?
A: We don't know yet. This will likely take months to parse out.
Q: Can we develop mRNA vaccines against Omicron? How long that would take?
A: Yes. Starting now, developed by spring 2022, manufactured by summer 2022.
4/ There are some things we know now:
We need to vaccinate the world more quickly.
Less than 1/4 of South Africans are fully vaccinated.
~7% of Africans are fully vaccinated.
We need to vaccinate the world more quickly.
Less than 1/4 of South Africans are fully vaccinated.
~7% of Africans are fully vaccinated.
5/ Travels bans at best SLOW the spread of a new variant.
But
- we were too slow
- we'd have to ban ALL travel to/from countries (including Belgium, Israel, Hong Kong) where there have been cases.
- we'd also have to ban citizens from reentering the country
MASSIVE LOOPHOLES
But
- we were too slow
- we'd have to ban ALL travel to/from countries (including Belgium, Israel, Hong Kong) where there have been cases.
- we'd also have to ban citizens from reentering the country
MASSIVE LOOPHOLES
6/ **If** Omicron is relatively immune evading (similar to Beta), such immune evasion might be overcome by eliciting higher neutralizing antibody levels.
7/ Boosters **might** play a role here to buy us time until we develop & manufacture Omicron-specific vaccines.
But if we repeat the same mistakes—vaccinate & boost in high-income countries & leave low-income countries behind—we'll just keep chasing our tails.
But if we repeat the same mistakes—vaccinate & boost in high-income countries & leave low-income countries behind—we'll just keep chasing our tails.
8/ We also need to pay special attention to immunocompromised populations:
- solid organ transplant recipients
- people on immunosuppressive chemotherapeutics & drugs for autoimmune/other conditions
- patients living with HIV/AIDS
- solid organ transplant recipients
- people on immunosuppressive chemotherapeutics & drugs for autoimmune/other conditions
- patients living with HIV/AIDS
9/ These patients are more likely to experience prolonged infections during which the virus is more likely to mutate and SARS-CoV-2 variants are to emerge.
nejm.org/doi/full/10.10…
nejm.org/doi/full/10.10…
10/ Highly immunocompromised persons should be considered a high priority for:
- vaccine boosters
- monoclonal antibody pre-exposure prophylaxis (not yet available)
- combination antiviral post-exposure prophylaxis & rapid treatment (not yet available)
- vaccine boosters
- monoclonal antibody pre-exposure prophylaxis (not yet available)
- combination antiviral post-exposure prophylaxis & rapid treatment (not yet available)
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