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Editorial
. 2022 Jan-Dec:36:3946320221133001.
doi: 10.1177/03946320221133001.

Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 infection elicits cross-protective immunity in people who received boosters or infected with variant strains

Selia Chowdhury  1 , Md Shahraj Chowdhury  2 , Nurjahan Shipa Chowdhury  3 , Samia Chowdhury  4 , Shajeda Chowdhury  5
Affiliations
Editorial

Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 infection elicits cross-protective immunity in people who received boosters or infected with variant strains

Selia Chowdhury et al. Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol. 2022 Jan-Dec.

Abstract

Introduction: The B.1.1.529 (Omicron) variant of SARS-CoV-2 is the most antigenically unique SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern to date, which is currently widespread across the world. Omicron variant and its sublineages contain a plethora of mutations than other variants of concern, which increases their transmissibility and virulence. Concerns regarding potential immunological evasion have been reignited by emerging subvariants of the Omicron variant. Determining the effectiveness of Omicron-induced immunity and whether it is cross-protective against other variants is a crucial aspect of the research.

Method: A systematic search of relevant articles until September 25, 2022, from databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect was done independently by two authors. A total of 11 articles discussing about immunological evasion of different Omicron subvariants were included in the study.

Results: Numerous studies have demonstrated that Omicron variant causes a restricted immune response after infection. Omicron infection boosts preexisting vaccine-induced immunity, but it may not be enough to establish widespread, cross-neutralizing humoral immunity in unvaccinated people.

Conclusion: Due to co-circulation and the emergence of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants, findings highlight the importance of booster vaccinations for immune protection. More studies should focus on the efficacy of Omicron-induced immunity, its cross-protective properties against other variants, and development of a universal vaccine.

Keywords: COVID-19; Omicron; SARS-CoV-2; cross-neutralizing antibody; immunity; mutations; vaccine.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Genomic map of SARS-CoV-2 (a and b)., E: Envelope, M: Membrane, N: Nucleocapsid, RBD: Receptor-Binding Domain, RBM: Receptor-Binding Motif, NTD: N-Terminal Domain, SD1 and SD2: Subdomains 1 and 2, S1/S2: Protease Cleavage Site 1 and 2.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Mutations in the spike protein of Omicron variants BA.1, BA.2, BA.3, BA.4, and BA.5. Green indicates prevalence of mutation while red indicates little to no mutation.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Neutralization of the wildtype SARS-CoV-2 (D614G) and Omicron subvariants by sera from four different clinical populations.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Chowdhury S, Bappy MH, Chowdhury S, et al. (2022) Omicron Variant (B. 1.1. 529) of SARS-CoV-2, A Worldwide Public Health Emergency. European Journal of Clinical Medicine 3(1): 5–9.
    1. Qu P, Faraone J, Evans JP, et al. (2022) Neutralization of the SARS-CoV-2 omicron BA. 4/5 and BA. 2.12. 1 subvariants. New England Journal of Medicine 386(26): 2526–2528. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Chowdhury S, Bappy MH, Chowdhury S, et al. (2021) Current Review of Delta Variant of SARS-CoV-2. European Journal of Medical and Health Sciences 3(6): 23–29.
    1. Chowdhury S, Bappy MH. (2021) On the Delta Plus Variant of SARS-CoV-2. European Journal of Medical and Health Sciences 3(6): 52–55. DOI: 10.24018/ejmed.2021.3.6.1134. - DOI
    1. Schmidt F, Muecksch F, Weisblum Y, et al. (2022) Plasma neutralization of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. New England Journal of Medicine 386(6): 599–601. - PMC - PubMed

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