Omicron Update and Vaccine-associated miscarriages

Omicron Update and Vaccine-associated miscarriages

A study out of South Africa reports that the ability for Omicron to evade immune neutralization from the antibodies from specifically the pfizer vaccine is 42x greater than its neutralization of the original (wild-type) virus which appeared almost 2 years ago.

What this means is that, in the lab, antibodies which are generated by the Pfizer vaccine (one of the mRNA vaccines) are 42x less able to neutralize (essentially inactivate) the Omicron variant virus. This does NOT mean that it is useless. There is definitely some protection provided by the vaccine and there was a dose-dependent effect, meaning, the lower the antibody levels, the more Omicron can withstand the antibodies. This says nothing about the NK (natural killer), T or B cells protection. Those cells are permanent but may take a few days to kick in.

In the real world, doctors who are treating real patients with Omicron in S. Africa, are reporting that 90% or more of the hospitalized and dying patients continue to be the unvaccinated. Those vaccinated who are getting sicker, tend to be older as well as those who have chosen not to get a booster. Previous infection does not seem to provide any greater protection against Omicron either, but it’s still early.

Fortunately, so far this variant does not seem to be causing worse symptoms than previous variants.

Another recent US study showed that, in general, vaccination after infection is still significantly better than just relying on natural immunity from the infection alone.

MISCARRIAGES and VACCINATION? I was recently sent an online link to an article about this issue and from my own research as well as from local experience with local OB/Gyn docs, there is no such relationship. The vaccine does NOT cause miscarriages. The doctor who reported this has a huge online following, and although he does promote a lot of healthful behaviors I agree with, he also has some controversial views and, not surprisingly, sells a lot of expensive, proprietary supplements. Although some supplements like vitamin D, B12, C as well as a few others in select situations are helpful, get your nutrients from whole foods. The more, and the greater the variety of whole, unprocessed plants you eat, the better.

THE BOTTOM LINE!

More time is needed to get a clearer picture about how Omicron will impact on us, but it seems to be just as infectious, if not more infectious, as Delta, it leads to no more, and maybe even less significant degree of disease, but unfortunately seems to evade previous vaccination, as well as previous infection to a greater degree than previous variants. 

VACCINATION STILL WORKS. Not only does vaccination provide protection against all the other variants of the SARS-Cov-2 virus, it also provides some protection against the Omicron variant, albeit less than previous versions.

GET YOUR BOOSTER. Higher levels of antibodies provide even more benefit, including with Omicron.

Stay safe and be well.

AC

OMICRON. The numbers from S. Africa indicate that it is spreading at a rate which surpasses the Delta variants’ rise by a significant amount, suggesting increased and faster transmission. It is now all over the world, definitively identified in at least 17 states in the US. It is still early in its appearance and we still need more time to learn, however so far it seems to be causing a more mild case of Covid-19. 

But infection is infection, and if it is more transmissible, more people will get sick. The vulnerable will continue to suffer the most, vaccinated or not. In addition, as it spreads and continues to replicate, more mutations will continue to develop.

A common excuse people give me for not getting vaccinated is that not enough time has passed to determine if it is safe. Despite the fact that these vaccines started being developed more than 15 years ago. Despite the fact that nearly 8 billion doses have been given and there is a massive amount of efficacy and safety data. Despite the clear amount of disease and death this virus has already handed out. None of them can ever give me a logical response about how much time must pass or how much evidence must surface before they are convinced to get vaccinated. I think it’s just an excuse. None of them seem to be concerned about the rise in cases, hospitalization and deaths, not only worldwide, but here in the US as well, nor are they concerned that the vast majority of these serious cases are in the unvaccinated populations. When asked about transmitting it to others, most are unfazed. It’s sad.

An infectious disease specialist was interviewed about Covid-19 and was asked about making any kind of predictions about the course of this pandemic. The only prediction he could guarantee is that we will all be well versed in the Greek alphabet because there is no question that more variants will develop.

Please do your best to stay safe and continue to do all the things we know will slow down this virus:

VACCINATE. They are not perfect, but given everything we know so far, they are very, very effective and safe.     Everything is about balance and the scale clearly tips towards getting vaccinated. 

MASK. Again, not perfect, but they work when you wear a good one and wear it properly.

PRACTICE PRACTICAL HYGIENE. Wash your hands and don’t touch your face. Don’t overdo it on the hand sanitizer. Don’t read your cell phone while peeing in a public bathroom!! (I saw this last week and it is just gross).

DISTANCE and VENTILATE. Airflow disperses the virus. It’s all about the dose.

GET HEALTHY. I have seen a trend in the last few months of people starting to get healthier. More people are intentionally  losing rather than gaining weight and more people are eating healthier (not necessarily vegan but certainly eating more plants and less processed foods and sugar) and are moving more. KEEP IT UP!

Stay safe and be well.

AC