The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is caused by the SARS-COV-2 virus. Since its discovery in December 2019, it has continued to spread widely and cause several deaths and hospitalizations. The virus has the uncanny ability to produce variants. A virus variant is a mutation or change in the virus and evolution that causes it to spread among people. There have been several recent variants, including the dominant Delta variant and recently the Omicron variant. The Delta variant is relatively presently under control, but the latest variant, the Omicron variant, has been labelled “a variant of concern” by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Health bodies worldwide know very little about the Omicron variant since its discovery one month ago in a South African lab. But according to recent reports from the WHO, the Omicron variant is rapidly spreading and appears to be doubling in 1.5 to 3 days in areas that have community transmission. The world reacted in fear of this new variant as several countries closed their borders to South Africa. Yet, this variant has continued to spread around the globe and is now in 89 countries.
Moderna (NASDAQ: MRNA) is one of the companies which has reported that its vaccine is effective against the Omicron variant. Last year the FDA approved taking two shots of the Moderna vaccine named mRNA-1273, both of 100 micrograms. Then later, due to the spread of variants like the Delta variant, booster shoots of 50 micrograms were also approved. Recently, the company reported that booster shots of the 1273 vaccine appeared effective against the Omicron variant after laboratory tests.
According to Moderna’s chief medical officer, Dr Paul Burton, mRNA-1273 would be the company’s “first line of defence against Omicron.” He further stated that Moderna plans to develop another vaccine specifically against Omicron. However, the decision to focus on the existing vaccine is because the Omicron variant is fast spreading, and little is known about it.
Speaking on mRNA-1273 and its effectiveness in trials against Omicron, Dr Paul Burton said: “It’s highly effective, and it’s extremely safe. I think it will protect people through the coming holiday period and through these winter months when we’re going to see the most severe pressure of Omicron.”
During the lab tests of the vaccine against the Omicron variant, the company reported that the two-dose regimen produces low antibodies that neutralize against Omicron, but there were a 37 times boost on neutralizing antibodies when the 50 microgram booster shot was taken. Meanwhile, it was also discovered that if the booster shot was at 100 micrograms, there was an 80-times increase in neutralizing antibodies. However, the data were from lab tests conducted in Moderna’s labs and were not peer-reviewed.
Meanwhile, the UK health authorities reported that based on their research on the Omicron variant, taking booster shots of the current vaccines has proved to be 80% effective against the Omicron variant. This is encouraging news as the world is still reeling from the emotional, economic, and traumatic effects of the Covid-19 disease and its many variants.
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