Omicron News and Research

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Adapted Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine that targets Omicron XBB 1.5 subvariant receives MHRA approval

Approval has today been granted by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for an adapted Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine that targets the Omicron XBB 1.5 subvariant, after it was found to meet the UK regulator's standards of safety, quality and effectiveness.

5 Sep 2023

SARS-CoV-2 Eris variant spreads faster and dodges immunity

Study investigates the characteristics of the EG.5.1 "Eris" variant of SARS-CoV-2, finding it more transmissible among hamsters and slightly better at evading immunity compared to the XBB.1.5 variant. The results suggest that these properties could be driving the variant's increasing prevalence in human populations.

5 Sep 2023

Study characterizes SARS-CoV-2 subvariants to inform development of next-generation COVID-19 vaccines

Researchers characterized two novel SARS-CoV-2 XBB variants, EG.5.1 and XBB.2.3.

4 Sep 2023

Did COVID-19 mortality differ between patients with cancer and the general US population depending on which SARS-CoV-2 variant was dominant?

Researchers comparatively evaluated COVID-19 mortality among cancer patients during different periods of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak.

4 Sep 2023

Boosters slow antibody waning but hit a ceiling: Long-term COVID study reveals limits of immunity

The study tracks the long-term kinetics of antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 after vaccination and infections in New York healthcare workers from 2020 to 2023. It reveals that antibody waning is slower after booster shots, but there's an upper limit to antibody levels, which gradually lowers with repeated SARS-CoV-2 exposures and vaccinations.

31 Aug 2023

Cracking the code on post-vaccine COVID protection

The study investigates the relationship between antibody levels and behavioral factors in 176 adults vaccinated with Pfizer's BNT162b2, finding that higher levels of specific antibodies correlate with greater protection against symptomatic COVID-19. It also suggests that current commercial assays may need reformatting for better risk prediction.

31 Aug 2023

Fourth COVID-19 booster supercharges antibody defense in older adults, study says

The study finds that the fourth dose of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine significantly boosts neutralizing antibody levels in the elderly, providing enhanced protection against new SARS-CoV-2 variants like Omicron. This supports the efficacy of booster shots for older populations in combating COVID-19.

31 Aug 2023

New omicron variants can reinfect people who were infected with earlier variants

The omicron variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which have rapidly spread around the world over the past year, latch onto our cells more tightly, invade them more efficiently, and elude many of the antibodies induced by previous infections and vaccines.

30 Aug 2023

Engineered ACE2 decoy shows promise as COVID-19 treatment

Researchers from Japan demonstrated that an engineered angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor, which showed the potential to remarkably reduce the emergence of resistant virus strains, could successfully exert its therapeutic effect in primates, which may open avenues for the application of the technology for the treatment of humans.

30 Aug 2023

Comparative mortality rates of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza in France before and after the COVID-19 pandemic

Researchers investigate the contribution of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza to hospitalizations and mortality to inform future vaccination and treatment policies.

30 Aug 2023

How frequent are hospital-onset SARS-CoV-2 infections and what hospital characteristics are associated with rates of hospital-onset SARS-CoV-2 infections?

Researchers investigated the frequency of hospital-onset COVID-19 cases and the hospital characteristics related to hospital-onset infections by SARS-CoV-2 in US.

30 Aug 2023

A rise in all-cause mortality in China following termination of the Zero COVID Policy

After China abandoned its zero COVID policy in December 2022, a significant surge in excess deaths occurred, totaling an estimated 1.87 million within two months. The figures starkly surpassed China's official estimate of 60,000 COVID-19 deaths, pointing to the potential impact of limited immunity in the population.

29 Aug 2023

Omicron's dominance amidst immune escape sparks debate: should it be classified as a separate serotype?

Distinct serotypes for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-related coronaviruses (CoVs).

29 Aug 2023

Hackensack Meridian Health study finds vaccination critical to preventing severe COVID-19

The SARS-CoV-2 virus swept across the globe at the beginning of 2020, and one of the earliest and hardest-hit areas of the United States was New Jersey.

28 Aug 2023

Keck Medicine of USC experts highlight the importance of COVID-19, flu and RSV vaccines

Over the last few years, the nation has been through multiple rounds of COVID-19 vaccinations. This fall, the COVID-19 vaccine will be offered annually.

25 Aug 2023

High levels of COVID-19 exposure can overcome protection from vaccination and prior infection

High levels of exposure to the virus that causes COVID-19 may reduce or overcome the protection that vaccination and prior infection provides, according to a new study by researchers from Yale University, the University of Florida, and the Connecticut Department of Correction.

22 Aug 2023

Omicron infection may increase risk of reinfection, study finds

Researchers at McMaster University have found that rather than conferring immunity against future infections, infection during the first Omicron wave of COVID left the seniors they studied much more vulnerable to reinfection during the second Omicron wave.

21 Aug 2023

COVID-19 vaccination in low- and middle-income countries should complement routine childhood vaccines

COVID-19 vaccines are effective against severe cases of the disease in children and adolescents, according to a review.

21 Aug 2023

Vaccination reduces risk of severe COVID-19 in solid organ transplant recipients

Findings from a two-year study of nearly 2,400 solid organ transplant recipients, conducted by the Johns Hopkins Transplant Research Center (TRC) in collaboration with the New York University Center for Surgical and Applied Transplant Research, indicate spikes of post-vaccination SARS-CoV-2 viral infections (commonly known as COVID-19 breakthrough cases) remain common, yet hospitalization rates have dramatically dropped following the first wave of the virus' omicron subvariant.

18 Aug 2023

Host viral burden increases with age, is reduced by vaccination, and is influenced by vaccination status and viral variant interplay

The impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants on host viral burden.

18 Aug 2023

Omicron News and Research

Adapted Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine that targets Omicron XBB 1.5 subvariant receives MHRA approval

SARS-CoV-2 Eris variant spreads faster and dodges immunity

Study characterizes SARS-CoV-2 subvariants to inform development of next-generation COVID-19 vaccines

Did COVID-19 mortality differ between patients with cancer and the general US population depending on which SARS-CoV-2 variant was dominant?

Boosters slow antibody waning but hit a ceiling: Long-term COVID study reveals limits of immunity

Cracking the code on post-vaccine COVID protection

Fourth COVID-19 booster supercharges antibody defense in older adults, study says

New omicron variants can reinfect people who were infected with earlier variants

Engineered ACE2 decoy shows promise as COVID-19 treatment

Comparative mortality rates of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza in France before and after the COVID-19 pandemic

How frequent are hospital-onset SARS-CoV-2 infections and what hospital characteristics are associated with rates of hospital-onset SARS-CoV-2 infections?

A rise in all-cause mortality in China following termination of the Zero COVID Policy

Omicron's dominance amidst immune escape sparks debate: should it be classified as a separate serotype?

Hackensack Meridian Health study finds vaccination critical to preventing severe COVID-19

Keck Medicine of USC experts highlight the importance of COVID-19, flu and RSV vaccines

High levels of COVID-19 exposure can overcome protection from vaccination and prior infection

Omicron infection may increase risk of reinfection, study finds

COVID-19 vaccination in low- and middle-income countries should complement routine childhood vaccines

Vaccination reduces risk of severe COVID-19 in solid organ transplant recipients

Host viral burden increases with age, is reduced by vaccination, and is influenced by vaccination status and viral variant interplay

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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