The omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 has been traumatizing the world. According to reports, 73 percent of the US is now resistant to the variant. Read to know more about omicron immunity and if it is enough for a safer future.
Around 80 million infections are confirmed but, several more may have been unreported
The immune systems of millions of Americans are now recognizing the virus and are primed to fight it off if and when they encounter omicron. About 50 percent of eligible people have got their booster shots. Reports by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation model show that as of now 73 percent of people in the US are immune to the omicron variant. However, this has the potential to rise to 80 percent by mid-March. Data also reveals that around 80 million infections are confirmed but, several more may have been unreported.
The omicron immunity will help in preventing or reducing the span of new illnesses in protected people. It can also help in reducing the circulation of the virus and tampering with the possibility of a new wave. Experts also agree that this will help in the recovery of the overwhelmed health care system. “We have changed. We have been exposed to this virus and we know how to deal with it,” stated Ali Mokdad. Mokdad is a professor of health metrics science at Seattle’s University of Washington.
How is the virus changing and affecting the population?
Currently, the coronavirus is infecting over 130,000 Americans daily. Out of them, more than 2,000 omicron deaths are occurring daily. The current variant might not be the last one to come up. While herd immunity can help in stopping the virus, the new variant is flagging immunity. Since the coronavirus is no longer new, the population is not as susceptible as two years ago. “I am optimistic even if we have a surge in summer, cases will go up, but hospitalizations and deaths will not,” stated Mokdad.
Researchers are also trying to understand how our bodies respond to the virus. Several studies are exploring how far omicron immunity lasts from the booster doses. They are getting clues by using health data from nations such as Denmark, South Africa, Qatar, and Britain.
“We know it’s a huge proportion of the population, this varies a lot by location, and in some areas, we expect the number infected to be closer to one in two,” stated Shaun Truelove. Truelove is a disease modeler and epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins. The research will also help in understanding the effect of boosters, immunity, and the disease in various demographics of the population.