Doctor Sabaka pointed to the latest study: Good news about omikron, everything seems to be different! – Topky.sk

What will be the variant of Omicron, what will cause and will be effective against vaccines or previous overcoming of the virus? In recent days, these questions resonate with the public and are asked not only by ordinary Slovaks, but also by politicians and experts. Not much is known about the omicron variant so far – only that it has more than 30 mutations attached to it, and that it is probably more infectious than the raging delta variant. Many therefore have concerns. Recently, however, a study was published that could be a light at the end of the tunnel. And the doctor and infectologist of Bratislava Kramárov, Peter Sabaka, informed about it.

Archive VIDEO In Slovakia, the first three cases of the omicron variant were captured, confirmed by Prime Minister Eduard Heger

He pointed out the opinions of many experts – that cellular immunity protects us from the severe course of the infection. He pointed out that neutralizing antibodies, which are formed after vaccination or overcoming and are intended to protect us from infection, bind to a small stretch of S-protein. It is technically called the receptor binding domain (RBD) and acts as a key to unlock our cells, thus preventing infection. According to Sabak, cellular immunity works differently. “It doesn’t show up until the virus enters the cell and starts multiplying in it. The affected cell exposes the virus’s components (including the S protein) on its surface to let the immune cells know it’s infected.” Sabaka explained that CD-8 T cells play the most important role in cellular immunity. These are cells that recognize the viral components and destroy the infected cell. This actually prevents the rapid and uncontrollable spread of the infection in the body and the person is thus protected. It was the effectiveness of these cells that was studied by the authors of the latest study, the results of which Sabaka presents.

“Although T cells enter the scene only after the virus attacks our cells, they have a great advantage over neutralizing antibodies. They do not only target a small region of the S protein (RBD), but also recognize various other regions of the S protein. So they are much less affected by virus mutations, “ said the infectologist. On the other hand, the omicron variant, which causes wrinkles on the foreheads of many people, has most of the problematic mutations in that small RBD region. This is what causes the neutralizing cells that bind to this section to be able to neutralize, thus depriving the new variant of omicron of up to 30 times less.

For this reason, according to Sabak, there were concerns that vaccines or coronavirus overcoming may not sufficiently protect a person from the new variant. However, according to a recent study, other regions of the S protein that are important for the production of cellular immunity are only minimally affected by mutations. “What does this mean? Does it mean that cellular immunity after vaccination will still work against omicron and protect us from severe the course of the disease, “ Sabaka warned. What is the study on which the Bratislava doctor relies?

Light at end of the tunnel

A group of scientists published a study late last week on how existing antibodies work against omicron. Experts such as microbiologists, pathologists, immunologists, and others have looked at the antibodies of coronavirus-infected patients in the United States. They examined the CD-8 T cells mentioned by Sabak and how they work in infecting the omicron variant. They found interesting facts – only one section of T cell antigen to which antibodies bind was also captured in omicron mutations.

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“These data suggest that virtually all individuals with existing anti-SARS-CoV-2 CD8 + T-cell responses should recognize omicron, and that SARS-CoV-2 has not currently developed extensive T-cell escape mutations. stated by the authors of the study. However, the authors themselves point out a number of limitations of the study – such as the low number of respondents, the focus on only one continent (USA), or the fact that they examined T-cells only in previously infected but unvaccinated individuals. However, according to the authors of the study, everything points to the fact that the previous immunization will be sufficient in the fight against the new variant. Whether after overcoming or vaccination against coronavirus.

The head of anesthesiology at the Antolská Hospital, Jakub Hložník, and Andrej Stančík, Member of Parliament for OĽaNO, also responded to the latest information presented by Sabaka. Those positive reports that the current immune response in the fight against omicron could be enough pleased them sincerely.